Heart and Soul
by Me and Mrs Jones
Summary: Where do you hide a blood thirsty vampire child? Edward looks to the enemy for help and he finds more than he bargained for. Can the heart of a wolf find the soul of a vampire? M/M
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a story by Mrs. Jones. I find it very challenging to write from the pov of the pack but, my other half told me to push myself. Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 1**

**Edward**

I lay in the snow, the cold and the darkness surrounding me like a blanket. It was a clear night, the sky filled with stars. So far, this was the safest place for us, out in the middle of the Siberian snow desert, except for maybe the middle of the ocean but, we both preferred to have solid ground under our feet. I looked over at the girl who had changed my life, Alice. She was a mere child of twelve when her soul was taken from her and we'd been together ever since. For almost five years we moved from one isolated location to the next, staying as far from civilization as possible.

"Stop moping, Eddy," she sat up from one of the thousands angels she created. They would be gone with the next storm, as if she'd never been here. That was how I was feeling at in that moment, as if I didn't exist. I had nothing to show for my so-called life, I made no contribution to the world except for Alice. I often questioned if it had all been worth losing my family over, to save a vampire child from sure death. Rosalie was the one who insisted it was. Over and over in her head she screamed at me saying that it wasn't her fault, none of us chose this life. That was moments before James tore her head from her body.

The small pixie-sized girl plopped down beside me. "Let's go see Jazzy," she said with a bit of a pout. "It's been months since he left."

"We can't go to him, Alice. You know that," I said sternly. We kept away from temptation. Not for me but, for her. Carlisle, my creator, taught me how to control my thirst and to drink the blood of animals instead of, humans. Alice was much younger than I was when Carlisle 'saved' me from a run in with the Spanish flu. I was a bit more stable and more patient than a twelve-year-old girl. She was frozen in her tween mind and body, not always aware of the consequences of her actions or ignored them as kids often did. Her emotions were all over the place, one minute happy and excited the next petulant and thoughtless. It was one thing to have a child who ignored rules such as cleaning their room or using their indoor voice, it was a whole other thing to hold back a thirsty vampire in a room filled with beating hearts. "I'll call him when we get to town," she fell backward with an exhausted sigh. She was frustrated living with only me for a companion and occasional visits from her favorite brother.

Jasper was probably my closest friend now with my family dead and gone. He was a god-send when I first acquired Alice. His ability to control newborns was the only thing that kept me sane and her alive. I called him weeks after Alice's transformation was complete. It had been a daunting task to even get close enough to tower where I could get reception. I couldn't leave her on her own for even a moment. When he arrived, her emotional state was calmed almost immediately. Not only from his empathic abilities but, also, he had a way with her. He sat and listened to her talk endlessly about nothing and everything and told her stories of his life. He stayed with us for the first two years of her new life and visited us regularly since.

"Yes!" she shouted. In her mind, I could see him coming to us baring gifts for her. They were never practical gifts, always a toy or fancy clothes. "_Girls don't want things they need, they want things that are frilly and pretty"_ he told me once. My reply was that I was beginning to feel like a pack mule with endless bags to carry on our travels. "_Its time to find a place to settle, Edward," _he said. "_She's ready."_

I huffed and rolled my eyes not unlike Alice would do. I wasn't so easily convinced. In fact, we'd never really tested her to see what would happen. We hadn't been within twenty miles of a human in a few years except when I needed to move us near a town to make a few phone calls and even then it was for very short periods of time.

"_You have the ability to read her mind and she has the ability to foresee the future. It will give you what you need to keep yourselves and others safe,"_ he explained. "_She needs to meet others both human and those like us. You can't keep her hidden away forever, what kind of life is that?" _He was right, of course but, I wasn't sure if this was the right time. We had to keep the risk to a minimum so, someplace where is was less populated.

Our obvious danger to humans wasn't my only concern. Alice was a child and in the eyes of the vampire world, a danger. The only real law that anyone took seriously was to be inconspicuous. We didn't want to be found out by the human race at large. It meant that killings would happen in the cover of darkness and not in public, keeping our natural strength and agility hidden, and stay out of the sun where anyone could see our skin's reaction to it. Vampire children were more volatile and unaware of the reason for this. They were easily distracted, usually self-centered, and emotional. It was common belief that the children should be destroyed without hesitation or explanation.

"Alright, come on," I stood brushing the snow from my pants. "Let's pack up and head out," she jumped up and clapped her hands together smiling as she shoved the clothes she dressed her snow white angels in. With our bags strapped to our backs, we trudged through the snow almost sixty miles from where we were.

As we walked, I watched for our future in Alice's mind. I had been throwing an idea around in my head, one that could work but, I would have to handle delicately. It would be a way for us to live near others, without it being too overwhelming for Alice. It was a long shot and had the potential to get us killed. I was also going to need Jasper's help again.

When the bars on my phone filled, I dialed his number hoping I would get a hold of him the first time. He was a bit of a lone wolf and could be anywhere in the world.

"Edward!" he said. "How's my princess? I've been to Paris recently and found a few things she might like," I rolled my eyes as I let the bags fall from my back.

"She's missing you actually," I told him as I looked down at her smiling face. She was practically bouncing, hoping to talk to him when I finished. "She's part of why I'm calling."

"Okay, so what's going on?"

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said. It's time, Jasper," I said resigned.

"It'll be good for both of you to rejoin the human race," he chuckled. "You could use some other forms of distraction yourself. It isn't healthy to be alone, trust me."

"I know but, I'm going to need your help," I warned him.

"Of course, you don't even need to ask," he said.

"There is a small town outside of Seattle called Forks, ever heard of it?" I asked.

"No but, I can find it. When?"

"A week but, Jasper there's more," I interjected. "Outside of the small town is an indian reservation. Years ago, my family negotiated a treaty with the tribe. It still stands today, at least it should."

"Why would you need to make a treaty with them? What is it?" he asked with a voice full of confusion. "Are they vampires?"

"No, the opposite actually. Wolves," I said.

"Children of the moon? Are you insane?" I could almost feel the anxiety rolling off him through the phone.

"Not children of the moon and the treaty states that as long as we don't bite a human or enter their lands, they will leave us alone," I explained.

"If they aren't children of the moon then what are they?"

"They are a pack of wolf shape shifters," I replied.

"A shape shifter? Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"What better place to hide then with the enemy? As long as we abide by the treaty, they won't bother us. And, they would help keep other covens away, especially the Volturi. Plus, Alice won't find them appealing in the slightest," I pleaded my case. It was a shot in the dark at best.

"They aren't going to like Alice anymore than the Volturi. What makes you think they will uphold the treaty?"

"There are no guarantees. It's just a gut feeling I have about it. It's worth a try don't you think?" I heard his sigh. "I could really use your help not only with Alice but, to keep everyone else calm."

"I'll be there in a week," he said after a long pause. "But, any hint of trouble, I'm grabbing Alice and running."

"Thank you, Jasper," I handed the phone to Alice who talked excitedly about everything she just heard. Her mind was filled with meeting new friends and dressing up but, her thoughts weren't premonitions, just her imagination. Her mind went blank as soon as we met Jasper at the treaty line. There was nothing to tell me how this would work out. It could end with our demise.

True to his word, Jasper met up with us at one of the many properties I still owned from my time spent with my family. We'd hired someone to keep up with the house, cleaning it and keeping the grounds trim. The house was located a few miles out of town and Alice's strict instructions were to remain in the house unless Jasper or I were with her. She didn't seem to hear me as she ran around the house pulling off the sheets covering the furniture and declaring which room was hers. Jasper and I chuckled at her exuberance.

Two days after arriving, we made our way to the treaty line that separated our property from that of the tribes. I had no way of knowing if the shifters still existed. Alice still hadn't seen anything about our meeting and the only thing keeping me calm was Jasper. We didn't have to wait long next to the river that divided us from them as four wolves emerged from the forest. The only thing they were thinking was how to destroy us. They growled as they stepped closer with their teeth bared and hackles up. They were truly intimidating creatures. I listened closely hoping to get the information I needed.

"_Jake, what the hell are you waiting for,"_ the spotted grey wolf asked. I could feel the calming presence of Jasper's ability as he wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulders. He was already thinking, run.

"_We have to find out if these are Cullens first,"_ the largest wolf told his pack mate. I could deduce he was the alpha of the pack and I now knew that the treaty still held true. I held up both my hands in surrender and took a small step forward.

"Are you the descendant of Ephraim Black?" I asked him. He nodded. "You're great-grandfather made a treaty with my family many years ago. My name is Edward Cullen."

"_Jake, how do you really know?"_ the small grey wolf asked.

"_The only way to know Seth, is to look in their eyes,"_ he replied. The small grey wolf stepped forward next to his alpha and they both looked to see that my eyes were golden in color, unlike most of my kind. It was a by-product of our 'vegetarian' lifestyle. It was the only way the tribe would ever have made the treaty in the first place. As the smaller grey wolf, I now knew to be Seth looked at me and a feeling of euphoria washed over me. His mind was clear except for my face and a small whimper escaped him.

"So, you are Jacob Black, kin to Ephraim?" I asked trying to ignore what I was not only seeing in the wolves heads but the overwhelming feelings coming from the grey wolf. The russet-colored wolf looked back at me and nodded again unaware that I could pluck the answer from his head. "And the treaty still stands?" He nodded again and then turned his eyes back to his pack brother who was now lying on his stomach with his head on his paws unlike the other three who remained in defensive stances.

"_How is that even possible?"_ the alpha asked himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. As you know, we have four stories including this one between the two of us and as much as we would love to sit and write all day, real life isn't very accommodating. I'm thinking once a week with this story but, don't hold me to it. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 2**

**Seth Pov**

"Three more months, dude," I said punching Paul in the arm. "Then you'll really be tied down. Not that Rachel hasn't already got your balls under lock and key," I hadn't seen much of Paul since he and Rachel were married two years ago. He was working at the garage in Forks and spent the rest of his time at home with his wife. When I called him that morning asking if wanted to hang out he practically jumped through the phone wanting to get away from her.

"Fuck off," he pushed my shoulder. "Yeah, her mood swings are giving me a big case of whiplash. Just coming out here with you today she started crying telling me I didn't love her anymore. Thank god for Emily. I owe that woman," Emily was still the mother of the pack even though Sam and most of the others stopped phasing years ago. Sam was the first almost four years ago when the last coven of vampires suddenly disappeared. We hadn't seen many more since then and usually it was only a rogue passing through.

"Well, she knows how it is, Paul. She's got three kids of her own. Just keep your head and don't take it too personally. After the baby is born, Rachel's hormones will calm down."

Paul stopped dead in his tracks. I turned to see him shaking his head and he burst out laughing. "Man, do you know women at all? I mean, you got a sister. Did you learn nothing growing up with her? Talk about an imbalance in hormones."

"Leah does have her moments," I chuckled.

"Probably the biggest reason I wanted to stop phasing was to get the fuck out of her head," he said. Leah was a big surprise when she phased, the first known she-wolf. We both phased when our father was suddenly struck down with a heart attack. The wolf gene was strong in our blood and was believed that was the last trigger. I was only fourteen at the time and completely devastated. When mom told us I got up from my chair and ran out of the house into the forest as fast as I could. I remember my chest hurting from the lack of oxygen and my tears streaming down my face. I blacked out and when i came to, Jacob was the first thing I saw. He was a huge russet-colored wolf and I stood up stumbling backward in fear, not knowing it was him or that I had shifted as well.

He spoke to me through our shared link and tried to calm me telling me the legends and stories of our childhood were true. We stayed in wolf form for two days as I tried to come to terms with not only the fact that I was a shapeshifter but, my father's death.

One of the first things I realized was that everyone in the pack could read my thoughts.

"_But remember, you can read theirs too, Seth," _Jacob explained. "_It makes us much closer than any other family. We may give each other shit about the stuff we see but, we are all in this situation together, every one of us has private thoughts that we'd rather no one knew. You'll get used to it but, it's next to impossible to keep anything secret from your pack." _I was fearful at first about it but, I soon found that Jacob was right. There were other things as well like, the inevitable nudity and of course, coming face to face with a vampire. We may talk a big game about how great it feels to hunt and kill them protecting our tribe but, it's not something to be taken lightly. They are one of the few things that can hurt us, they are vicious, and stop at nothing short of death.

"Do you ever miss it, Paul?" I asked as we made our way down first beach. The day was overcast and windy. The turbulent waves crashed far onto the beach. It was still winter but, it had been mild without much snow. I only needed a light jacket but, Paul wore a coat with a hat and gloves. His high temperature had slowly decreased over time as it did for the others and it was assumed they couldn't phase anymore. As shapeshifters, we run a very warm 108 degrees. It took about a year for us to cool after we quit shifting.

"I miss tearing apart blood suckers," he chuckled. "Nothing like taking out your aggressions on a leech. But," he paused and looked out over the ocean, "my life is with Rachel and the baby," he looked back at me with a small smile. "I know it sounds lame and whipped but, I just, I love her, you know? I want all that romantic shit you see in the movies," he looked away again. "I wouldn't change it for anything, even leech-lynching."

"Haven't seen any in a couple of months," I told him. Only four of us still shifted with Brady being the last to stop. He wanted to go to college and got a full scholarship to Seattle University running track. He had a bit of an advantage needing hold back from what he could really do but, he had no other way of getting a college degree. The reservation wasn't wealthy and other than Rachel Black, he was the first to ever attend university. Jacob made it very clear that all the pack was to finish high school and be examples to the rest of our tribe but no one could afford to do anything after that except work.

"So, why are you still shifting? I mean, you could retire, settle down, get a job, and make a life for yourself," he draped his arm over my shoulders, "find yourself a tight ass to sink your cock into."

"Fuck off, Paul," I elbowed him. "You're so fucking crude."

"You love me," he squeezed my shoulder and placed a kiss to my temple. It wasn't a big deal when the pack found out I was gay. It was when I first phased and Jacob told me about how he imprinted on Embry which explained a lot. I remembered feeling left out in the months before I phased when he and Embry were as thick as thieves. Jake was my best friend growing up and then he basically disappeared for a couple of weeks. When he was over his supposed illness, it felt like he was glued to Embry's hip.

"You think too much of yourself and you're not my type, asshole," Paul made endless jokes over the years about how I secretly loved him and would try to sneak peeks at his naked ass when he phased. Paul (and all the others in the pack) were hot, it wasn't that I hadn't noticed, they just weren't what I wanted.

"You need to get yourself laid, my friend. Go visit Bray in Seattle, visit a few clubs, drink a few too many, and find a hottie to screw silly," he patted my chest. "Nothing wrong with a one-night stand."

I huffed. It was known that I was still a virgin. Call me a romantic or a loser but, I didn't want a one-night stand. I wanted to be with the one I was in love with. "Why are you so interest in my sex life?" He stopped and turned me to face him putting one hand on each side of my neck looking me in the eye.

"I want you to be happy, Seth," I looked down and nodded. He may have been hot-tempered and teased me growing up but, he was there for me when I needed him and proved that he had a huge heart. He was the big brother I always wanted. He gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze dipping his knees slightly to look me in the eye. "You'll find him, Seth and he will love you almost as much as I do," he chuckled. "At least he better or he will have me to deal with."

I smiled at him and shook my head. "Why would I need you to go after him? I'm bigger than you now," I may have been the smallest at fourteen but, I grew up and was only slightly shorter than my alpha.

"Not in length, pee-wee," he winked as we turned to make our way back home.

"Fuck off," I nudged his shoulder. "You're an," I was interrupted by the call of my alpha, there was a leech in the area. I began stripping on the deserted beach throwing my clothes at Paul. "Quit checking out my ass, Paul," I smiled just before I phased and left him at the beach.

I ran toward the large creek, the old treaty line with the Cullens. It was made back when Jacob's great-grandfather was a shifter along with mine and Sam's. Our father's didn't shift because the vampires disappeared from the area after the Cullens left. Sam was the first to phase and then Jared and Paul. Jacob, our true alpha, didn't phase until after Embry and when he did, Sam stepped aside to become his beta. It's believed he didn't phase first because of his age, he was only sixteen when he did. it was because of the coven of three; the redhead, blondie, and dreads that caused it. They were taunting us and had even tried to form an army to take us out. It didn't work and we killed many of their "newborns". The coven disappeared suddenly five years ago.

"_The scent isn't familiar," _Jacob said.

"_Who fucking cares, kill 'em all!"_ Quil growled in my head. All of us approached the river together silently as their sickly-sweet smells filled us. There were three of them but, one was different, not as potent. I was confused by it but, I wouldn't let it distract me. This was why we were shifters, to kill the cold ones and protect our people from them. They were to be destroyed at any cost. Our thoughts were of all the different ways we could tear them apart and turn them to ash. It was the only thing that a leech was good for, fodder for our fires.

"_Jake, what the hell are you waiting for?"_ Embry asked.

"_We have to find out if these are Cullens first,"_ Jacob told his imprint. The treaty stated that as long as they didn't bite a human and if they never crossed onto our lands, we would leave them alone. I had yet to come across any leech capable of staying away from human blood.

The one with copper colored hair stepped forward with his hands held up in surrender. "Are you the descendant of Ephraim Black?" he asked. Jacob nodded. "Your great-grandfather made a treaty with my family many years ago. My name is Edward Cullen."

"_Jake, how do you really know?"_ I asked skeptically.

"_The only way to know Seth, is to look in their eyes,"_ he replied. I stepped forward next to my alpha and looked to see that his eyes were a warm gold color and my whole world shifted, like righting itself after being out-of-balance. An overwhelming peace fell over me as if my heart had been empty and was now full. He looked at me but, it felt as if he were looking into me, into my soul.

His eyes looked back to my alpha, breaking our connection and I whimpered at the loss. My wolf no longer felt the need to defend itself against him but instead, the need to protect him and ensure his happiness. I lowered my body to the ground, my wolf wanting to show the beautiful vampire that I was no longer a threat. My eyes never left him, feasting on him, taking in the strong jaw-line and sinewy body, his mess of bronze hair, and perfect ivory skin. He was breathtaking.

"_How is that even possible?"_ Jake said.

"_Imprinting on a vampire?" Embry questioned_

"So, you are Jacob Black, kin to Ephraim?" Edward's voice chimed. "And the treaty still stands?"

Jacob nodded. I could sense their anger fading as they began to realize what was happening to me. Even through our shared link, I had no idea it would be that intense. It was unconditional love in its purest form. It might be compared to the way a mother feels about her child but, it was instantaneous. I didn't have the opportunity to think about it for nine months, I hadn't thought about it for five minutes. I saw him and the rest of the world dulled like an old yellowing photograph sitting next to a perfect diamond.

Imprinting was a phenomenon that happened to shapeshifters where they found their soul mate, sort of like falling in love but, more. Each of them had been through the very same thing. Jacob and Embry imprinted on each other, Quil imprinted on Claire when he first saw her as a baby. It was the biggest reason he was still phasing, he was waiting for her to grow up.

"We have moved back to the area and are looking for some help," Edward's voice chimed through the quiet forest. "I need to keep my sister safe and because of our treaty agreement, it is the one place on earth I might be able to do that."

He turned and pulled the small girl from the arms of the blonde man who hadn't said a word. She stood in front of him and he put both hands on her shoulders. She was about half his height with short brown hair and golden eyes. She seemed to bounce in place not being able to keep still and her smile covered her face. She gave us a small wave before folding her hands in front of her.

"This is Alice Cullen and Jasper Whitlock," he gestured to the man behind him. "I don't know how much you know about our kind but, I need to keep her hidden from our self-appointed leaders. They wouldn't allow her to exist if they were to find her," he explained. "They are unaware of her existence and we want to keep it that way."

"_Jake, if they stay here, they could potentially find her and bring others into the area," _Quil said. I didn't like the idea of the young girl already either, she threatened his safety. She looked sweet and innocent but that was part of their lure, it was how they drew their victims in.

"_I don't like it anymore than you do but, there was a reason the treaty was created," _Jacob explained. "_Until they break it, there will be no attacks_."

"You have done well keeping out the vampire population in this area." he continued, "and I was hoping to rely on your abilities to keep them away. We, of course will help with that as well. We have no desire to bring more to the area. Although Alice is young, she is in control of her thirst. And," he added, "the natural scent of your kind is unappealing to us as I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

After a long pause, Jake phased and pulled on his shorts. "You would kill your own kind if I asked?" were the first words my alpha said to the beautiful vampire. "She is worth it?"

"Yes, if that was our only option," he replied. "I consider her my only family along with Jasper.

"No others will be allowed here," Jacob stated. "Yellow eyes or not, this isn't a safe haven for leeches. My pack will be under strict orders to kill any others who come here.

"I understand," Edward conceded.

"Jacob, may I ask a question?" He asked. "What does it mean that Seth imprinted on a vampire?" he looked directly at me.

"How did you know his name?" Jacob asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I want to thank all of you who read, alert, fave, and review my story. I love hearing your thoughts. I also want to thank "Me" for all he does. Without his amazing insights and ideas, this story and all our stories would not be here. Please check out "Me's" story _Click_, it is amazing and truly thought-provoking. Also, his story _Private Performance_ which is lighter and every chapter has some yummy bits ;) Your reviews play a significant role as to what happens in the end. Last but certainly not least, our collaboration_ Belonging_. **

**Please let me know what you think. Your feedback tells me if I'm getting out the story the way it is intended. **

**Let's see what Edward has to say. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 3**

**Edward POV**

"Jacob, let me explain," I said quickly raising my hands in surrender as I felt Jasper's calm fall over all of us. He pulled Alice back to him worried that the pack would attack at any point. "Some of us are gifted but, not many. I have the ability to read minds."

"You can hear me?" he asked confused. "You've heard everything that we said?"

"Yes," I replied. "It is much the same as you speak to each other as wolves."

I dropped my hands. I didn't have anything to offer them in return for their protection. I searched Alice's mind for anything that would help us but, she was blank. Her premonitions were based on decisions one makes and changes along with them. Either no one had made any decisions or something was blocking her. "I wasn't trying to keep it from you but, I wasn't sure how you would respond. We are,"

"We plead with you to help us," Jasper interrupted. "Alice's fate is in your hands. If we leave here, she will be forced to live away from all human contact. We have to keep her away from others of our kind or she will be destroyed. She didn't choose this life, it was thrust upon her. She is only a young girl who is doing the best she can. She has never tasted the blood of a human, she has never spoken to one until today," Jasper explained to them. I could feel the sadness rolling off him.

Seth phased and pulled on the shorts tied to his ankle. The venom pooled in my mouth and groin as I saw the sinewy muscles moving beneath his caramel skin. His chest was broad with a light sheen of sweat covered him giving him an unearthly glow. His legs and arms looked powerful . Although he pulled on his clothing quickly, I saw the long uncut cock briefly before he tucked it away. Jasper smiled at me, he could feel the lust coming from me watching the native. Seth stood up next to his alpha only a few inches shorter. They looked like they could be brothers.

"Jake," Seth said quietly. His thoughts were still focused on me. They were melancholy at the thought of me leaving. "If he leaves, I leave," he stated matter-of-factly. I couldn't understand what it was that had him pleading our case. It was like a power stronger than himself. It was some sort of trace he was in where only i existed. "You can't keep us apart."

Jacob looked at his pack brother, his mind swirling with everything that had happened. He now had a coven of vampires living in the area. He wasn't happy about it even if we did live off the blood of animals and he definitely didn't like that I could read his thoughts. His beta had also 'imprinted' on me. I couldn't quite make out what that meant but, it seemed to mean he was tied to me somehow. In Seth's mind, it looked like I was an instant obsession, something he couldn't control. I could also feel something from him, a sort of… warmth that I hadn't felt since the day my family died.

"Like I said, you can stay," Jacob said still unsure of us. He finally looked back at me. "I need to discuss the imprinting with the elders, and Seth," he turned back to his pack brother, "stay on this side of the line," he ordered. He placed a hand on the back of his beta's neck and pulled him toward his chest. "It's only for the time being. We don't know what this means," he whispered into his friend's short black hair. It was obvious they were close and Jacob seemed to understand how Seth was feeling.

"Thank you, Jacob," I said watching the alpha comfort his pack brother. It had been so long since the last time I saw any true emotion from anyone. Only in the times Jasper visited did I see love, happiness, or even sadness. I had spent the last five years keeping safe a child who at times I resented. I still mourned the loss of my family and she was the reason they were gone but, the other side was that she also saved me daily. Without her, I would have gone to the Volturi seeking my death. I loved her and hated her all in one.

A deep feeling of sadness washed over me but, it wasn't coming from Jasper. I looked over the river to see Seth staring back at me with unshed tears in his eyes.

"Seth, come on," Jacob pulled at his arm. "You will see him again soon," Seth paused for a moment before running back into the forest, phasing as he disappeared into the trees. Jacob shed his shorts and phased. He told me he'd be in touch before following his beta with the other two shapeshifters not far behind.

"That was awesome!" Alice chirped. "They're so cute and their fur looks so soft. I wonder if there are any girls…" she chatted the entire walk back to the house holding Jasper's hand. He smiled with her and nodded agreeing with everything she said.

"_I don't know what it is, Ed but, imprinting is intense," _he said without speaking. "_I know you could feel it,"_ I nodded to him. "_I've never felt anything so strong in my life."_

He was right. I could actually feel his emotions, not only read them in his mind. Only Jasper was able to make someone feel emotions physically, or at least that was what I always thought.

"_I wasn't sure about this idea to live so close to shifters but, I think it's more than a coincidence that you wanted to come here,"_ he said before picking up his princess throwing her on his back and running the rest of the way home.

Over the next few days we mostly stayed in the house except to hunt. We filled our days and nights with Alice's obsessive redecorating. My mind was still at the treaty-line seeing the watery brown eyes looking back at me. I also couldn't help thinking of his incredible body. In the vampire world, we didn't think about sexual preference. Most were too preoccupied with their thirst for blood. In the time that I was human, it was even less accepted to be gay then in the world of today. I think I always knew I was but, I was only seventeen when I was changed by Carlisle. I hadn't had the chance to find out. I always said that I was waiting to marry before having sex but, honestly, I was still hiding and although my family wouldn't care, I often wondered what my parents would have thought. It was something that had plagued me my entire vampire life.

Of course, it all came down to whether I still had a soul. If not, it wouldn't matter what I did. Carlisle believed we did and that as long as we lived by the laws of the bible, we would be accepted into heaven. '_Even if we have no soul or no chance, you will be proud of who you are if you live as a good person and not a blood thirsty vampire. None of us asked for this but, there must be a reason we exist. Wouldn't you rather do everything right and be wrong then do everything wrong and be right?'_ His words ran through my head daily while I contemplated my soul.

Three days after meeting with the shapeshifters I felt a pull that led me to the treaty-line. The light misting rain fell giving everything a dreamlike quality. His grey fur contrasted with the deep browns and greens of the forest behind him. I saw him sitting on his haunches looking toward me as I emerged from the forest. In his wolf form, he looked regal and powerful.

"Hello, Seth," I said as I sat down wrapping my arms loosely around my knees. I looked into his mind trying to figure out what was happening between us. "What is imprinting?" I finally asked. He whimpered quietly before laying on his stomach.

"_I can't talk to you about that. I'm bound by my alpha,"_ he said ruefully putting his head on his paws. I nodded looking away from him to the water that rushed over the rocky river bed between us. His mind was quiet and he seemed to be resting as he watched me.

"I haven't been here in several decades, before your father was born," my voice broke through the silence. "We had to move every few years. We don't age so people get suspicious and it's hard to claim you're a thirty-year-old man but don't look a day over seventeen. We lived all over the world trying to fit in with our communities and live like humans; shopping for groceries, going to high school," I chuckled, "my father was even a doctor," now that I really thought about it, it was a bit absurd.

"_Your father?"_ he asked confused.

"He was my maker but, I considered him my father," I clarified. "My parents died of the Spanish influenza and I was close to death as well when my mother begged Carlisle to save me. He said that she seemed to know, maybe not exactly but, she knew he could save me," I looked over to the wolf who had lifted his head. Once again I felt the wave of sadness, the same as the other day.

"_I've never left the state of Washington. Hell, I've only been to Seattle twice. Once for school to see the space needle. And the other was when my father died,"_ he told me. I saw in his mind images of him in a hospital room as a much younger boy. He was sitting in a chair next to a bed holding the patient's hand, presumably his father's. An older woman held his head to her stomach while Jacob stood behind him with both hands on his shoulders.

Another scene flashed through his mind, this time in the meadow not far from where we sat. It was filled with vampires and shapeshifters alike. I watched as Seth took down a vampire all on his own, tearing his head from his body. A woman with red hair raced by and then his mind moved to him at a graveyard where he sat cross-legged directly in front of the headstone with his finger tracing the lettering 'Harold W. Clearwater, Beloved husband and father'.

"The redheaded vampire," I began. I didn't want to ask him about his father and dredge up bad memories. It seemed to be painful for him.

"_She and her coven built an army trying to take us out," _he said before I could finish my question. "_We killed the twelve newborns but, they're makers escaped. They came back a few times but, not in the last few years."_

"She's dead, along with the other two," I told him. "We killed them."

"You knew them?" his voice full of surprise.

"No, my family and I ran into James' coven quite by accident just outside of Port Angeles on a hunting trip. The three of them; James, Victoria, and Laurent broke into the psychiatric hospital and when we stumbled on them, they had just killed a vampire who attempted to protect the small girl from them. She'd been bitten only moments before and was beginning to show signs of the three-day transformation.

Emmett, my brother to the outside world, died at the hands of Laurent before any of us knew what happened. We had all been spread out trying to corner a herd of deer. The scream from Rosalie was blood-curdling as we raced to where the coven was surrounding Carlisle and Esme, his wife. The three were seasoned fighters and took them out easily. I watched as my family fell one by one. Rosalie was able to take out Victoria, but was distracted when she saw Alice's small form writhing on the ground. She went to her and picked her up, cradling her in her arms.

Laurent attacked me although, he couldn't know that I read his every move before he did them. I was able to jump on his back and behead him in one quick jerk. I could hear Rosalie screaming for me to save the child as James wrapped his hands around her neck from behind and twisted. I ran toward the murderer. He threw the butane lighter at the bodies that littered the ground that would seal my family's fates. He was a well trained fighter, anticipating my every move. In the end though, he couldn't keep up with my ability and I added his body to those of my family."

Seth remained quiet through the story of how my family died and how Alice came to be in my guardianship. I don't know why I told him about what happened. I felt comfortable around him for reasons I still didn't have the answers to.

A howl broke our long comfortable silence. Seth stood sluggishly lifting his head and returned the call.

"_I'm sorry for your loss, Edward," _he said turning his large head back to me. "_I hope you never have to feel that pain again,"_ he dipped his head. I could hear his alpha telling him he'd been out there long enough.

"I will be here tomorrow at the same time," I told him. He lifted his head to look at me and I felt relief coming from him. "If you can make it."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I truly appreciate your support. I can't say it enough, thank you to "Me" for all of his help. Please check out his story "Click". I think it is absolutely brilliant. Also his story "Private Performance", he needs your reviews to help him figure out who Edward will choose. And our collaboration, so dear to my heart, "Belonging".**

**Now, let's see what Seth has to say. Enjoy :D**

**Chapter 4**

**Seth POV**

I never thought it would be so painful, being away from my imprint. I felt it through the shared link with my pack brothers but, it was dulled significantly compared to what I was feeling. It was three days of thinking about him, three days each worse than the day before. First, it was just an ache, I missed being in his presence. Then came the nights where I barely slept and when I did, I dreamt of the pain I felt from him the day we met. By the third day, I felt like a walking zombie.

It wasn't only that I was away from him but, I knew he was angry, sad and there wasn't anything I could do about it. First, Jacob had ordered me to keep to our side of the treaty line effectively keeping us apart. My wolf was infuriated demanding I challenge my alpha. He cared for nothing except his mate. If I were to challenge Jacob, I would be banished and considered rogue and without a home. I would never be allowed back on the reservation and that was if I survived the fight. Second, Edward understood very little of what the imprint was. He didn't know me and I wasn't sure he'd even acknowledge it. Why would he? I'm his enemy, a shapeshifter created for one purpose, to kill vampires.

My best option was to follow orders and wait for the elders to figure out if this had happened in the past. My guess was it hadn't. Only a handful of gay shapeshifters had ever existed before our generation and Jake was the first alpha. To be gay and imprint on a cold one, no way.

I couldn't stand it anymore and by the third morning, I phased and made my way to the river. "_Don't stay long, Seth,"_ Jacob said before shifting after a night on patrol. I walked through the tall forest, the ache in my chest lessening slightly with each step. I had even convinced myself he would be there waiting for me, wanting to be near me. Emerging from the trees, I saw the bank across from me, empty of him.

I was there for almost an hour as the sunrise turned to morning. The clouds hung low in the sky and the rain barely heavy enough to dampen my fur. I sat on the elevated boulder staring at the opening in the trees on the other side that I willed him to walk through. It felt like my wolf was clawing at my spine urging me to cross and ignore my alpha. My resolve to remain still was waning with each minute that past and just before I thought I couldn't take it anymore, he arrived almost as if it was a dream.

His body moved at a human pace and as graceful as a swan floating across the water. He sat down and the tension in my body began to fade, my wolf slightly subdued. He was just as he'd been the other day, breathtaking and beautiful. His mood was melancholy and I could feel it, like the waves on the ocean. With my pack, we felt it through our shared link like a telephone wire transmitting a message. Edward's emotions were physical like water splashing over me.

The worst thing he could have asked me, he did. It was the first time and I prayed the last time, I denied my imprint. I would have told him anything he wanted to know, anything but, I couldn't talk about the imprint. "_We have to be sure, Seth. He's a cold one with a gift and who knows if he is telling the truth. I know it seems cruel but, we need to know what this means to our pack and our tribe. You can see him but, never cross the river until I tell you and don't discuss the imprint,"_ he ordered.

The violent waves of sadness crashed into me as he told me of his parents and then of his maker and coven... family. I never thought of vampires as being families or caring about anything but themselves. Every vampire we'd had run-ins with had only one goal, to feed; feral, blood thirty, strong, and without any compassion for their victims. To feel the pain Edward had mourning the death of his family, pulled deeply at my heart. And it was all to save a small girl.

I hadn't really thought about the fact that one of only two times I'd been to Seattle was when my father was air lifted and subsequently put on life support for over a week when he had his heart attack. After my first phase and being in wolf form for two days, Jacob offered to drive me to see my father in the hospital. I knew a big part of why he did was because as my alpha, he could order me not to phase and keep me under control. The image that flitted through my mind while sitting across the roaring river from Edward was when I sat with my father the very last time holding his hand. I remembered feeling him squeeze it just before the heart monitor flat-lined. My mind quickly moved to the battle with the redhead and the newborn army created by the coven of three. I didn't want Edward to see the breakdown I had when my father died but instead, show him that I was strong and was able to protect him. It was my job to keep him safe.

Of course, my mind went back to my father and how I spent my Sunday mornings for the first year after he was gone. I would sit for hours staring at his headstone telling him anything and everything about my life. We were as close as a father and son could be. My best memories of him were our mornings spent fishing. Every Sunday morning we'd be up before the sun and in the small paddle boat drifting with our bait in the water. We'd make fun of mom's cooking and Leah's mood swings. On my twelfth birthday, he cracked open his typical beer at the end of our excursion and he handed it to me for my first sip. He told me if I ever told my mother, I'd be grounded for life. We laughed about it but it became a sort of tradition that I would get one sip of his beer before getting in the truck and heading home.

It was Paul who found me at his gravesite one wet Sunday morning with my head leaning against the cold hard stone that my father lay beneath. He lifted me up by my arm and wrapped his around me. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, kid," he whispered in my ear. "He wouldn't want you to spend your life wishing for the past," he pulled away and looked me in the eye with a hand on the side of my neck. "Let's go fishin'," he said after a moment. We did and we did it every Sunday just him and I. He teased and joked while I rolled my eyes. He was the worst fisherman I've ever known, even bringing a radio out on the calm quiet water with AC/DC scaring all the fish to the other side of the lake. I bought him an iPod after our first few trips hoping to cure the problem but, the only thing worse than a loud radio was Paul playing air guitar and singing out of tune.

"I will be here tomorrow at the same time," Edward said when I received the call from my alpha. I was relieved and elated and practically bouncing. He wanted to see me again. "If you can make it."

"_Okay,"_ replied trying to hold in my excitement. I hadn't felt this good in days although, my heart felt heavier with each step I took away from him. I phased just before I left the forest slipping on my shorts.

"I'm meeting with the elders later this afternoon, Seth," Jacob stood at the steps of my family home as I walked up. I was hoping the small amount of time with Edward would allow me some much needed rest.

"Why does it matter, Jake?" I walked up to him. "They either accept it or they don't. Either way, I'm not going to stay away from him."

"I understand what you are going through, Seth," he said and lifted his hand putting it on my shoulder. I stared at him getting angrier by the second.

"You don't fucking know, Jake!" I pushed his hand away. "When have you ever spent more than ten minutes away from Embry?" I yelled. I walked up the stairs and to the front door.

"Seth, wait," he tried to follow. I turned and glared at him. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath dropping his hand to his side. I knew it was my wolf who was pushing my blood to the boiling point. He wanted our imprint. He wanted to see him, to smell his scent, to mate with him and claim him. Nothing else mattered. Jacob also knew that was what a shifter's wolf wanted. He'd been through it with Embry but, he was never denied his imprint and didn't have to hold back and hide trying to keep his wolf at bay.

"Just leave, Jake." I told him as calmly as I could. I slammed open the door and climbed the stairs to my room throwing myself on my bed. I closed my eyes and tried to just breath. My heart was pounding against my chest so hard I was sure it could be heard by one of my pack. I closed my eyes and tried to think about him sitting there his pale skin and coppery hair. The long dexterous fingers carding through the grass next to his feet. He was so deep in thought, I wondered what he was thinking, what he thought of me.

He had seen so much death in his life and not by his own hand. Twice he saw his family die and lost everything that was important to him. "_I consider her my only family along with Jasper"_ he said. I couldn't imagine starting over with a new family let alone for a third time. No wonder his emotions were so sorrowful. It made me wonder why anyone would want to have an eternal life.

Alice still bothered me but, if Edward considered her family than I would too. I didn't like that she could bring him trouble but, it was worth the risk. If I really thought about it, she was as much a victim as anyone.

I must have dozed off at some point because I woke up to someone shaking my arm. "Wake up, lazy ass," Paul said. I was a little confused at first as to why he would be here but it only took a moment to shake off the sleep. I sat up face to face with a somber looking Paul.

"What did they say?" I asked him.

"We didn't find anything that says this has happened before," he started.

"Well, no shit. I knew you wouldn't," I rolled my eyes.

"We are still surprised that its even possible," he looked away from me looking out the window. "Is it real, Seth?" he asked quietly.

I huffed and climbed out of bed. "Do you honestly think I would have chosen a vampire, Paul?" I asked him holding my arms out to the side. "Quit beating around the bush. What the fuck did you come up with?"

"We accept the imprint but, there is a condition," he looked up at me. "Only he will be allowed on the reservation and he must be accompanied by a shifter at all times."

"So, Alice and Jasper,"

"They can't step foot on the reservation," he stated.

I was elated that I would be able to see my imprint anytime I wanted. He could be with me all the time if we choose. But, he would be spending away from the only family he had. I knew I was getting ahead of myself. He didn't even know about any of this. And, even if he did, it didn't mean he would accept it. I would be to him whatever he wanted but, what if he wanted nothing?

"Seth!" Paul shouted putting both hands on my face. I hadn't been paying attention what else he said. "Are you sure about this?" he searched my face trying to find any hint of doubt. He wouldn't, that I was sure of.

"As sure as you are about Rachel, Paul," I replied. He leaned forward putting his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

"Okay," he nodded his head against mine. He let go of me and stood up. "I trust what you're telling me and I won't question you again but, I swear to god if that lee.. Edward hurts one hair on your head,"

I wrapped my arms around him before he could finish. "Thank you, Paul."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. Your feedback is truly helpful and very appreciated. Also, I have to thank my partner in crime "Me". Without him this story would not be here. I miss you :* Check out his amazing story "Click".**

**Chapter 5**

**Edward POV**

I sat watching the water for hours after he left me. I just couldn't understand what I was feeling with him. It had to be their imprint but, it was more. There was something about him that calmed me, soothed me. I could feel his sadness toward me. How is it possible he could feel anything but disgust and hate for me, a bloodsucker? But he didn't, he listened to me and his emotions reflected my own.

If he only knew the sins I had committed, the blood I spilled. Would he also feel the anger I felt toward myself, the hatred of my being? I had killed many placing judgement on men of low morals as if I were a god. It was the way I justified my actions: I killed the lowest scum, those who had committed their own sins deeming them less than in order to quench my own thirst. I was about ten years into my vampire life when I rebelled against Carlisle and went off on my own, rejecting his 'vegetarian' lifestyle.

Would Seth not only feel my own self-loathing but, agree with me? How could he not? Our newly found friendship was based on a lie. He thought I had always lived off the blood of animals. I told him my sob story of how my family died and he seemed to feel my sadness. It wasn't fair, that picture I gave him of myself. He needed to hear the whole story. He shouldn't feel sorry for me, I didn't deserve his comforting. I was vile and disgusting and could never atone for my sins.

The day fell into twilight and then into night. I didn't have it in me to move from the spot that I felt the most comfort I had in my ninety years as a cold one. Even with Jasper's empathic ability, I didn't feel like this. I looked over at the spot where he sat the previous morning wishing he were still there. I selfishly wanted him to ease my conscious.

My head was empty of anyone else which hadn't happened since Alice came into my life. The only thoughts I could hear were my own. A part of me was missing her and the way her mind worked, conjuring up scenarios based on my decisions. We made it a game at times. I would think of something we could do or a place we could visit and she would see how it would play out. In the beginning, she saw herself committing atrocities much like the ones I had done. But as time went on, those were replaced with far more acceptable behaviors. Her predictions kept my mind busy making sure we kept her away from her worst natural instincts.

Without her with me, I was forced to concentrate on my own thoughts. I wished I could live my life the way Carlisle had. He seemed to accept his situation in life with no second thoughts. I could read into his mind and he truly did believe we had a soul and that one day we would be judged not on our genetic makeup but, on our actions. "_Wouldn't you rather do everything right and be wrong than do everything wrong and be right"_ it repeated again and again and felt as if he were standing in front of me with his eyes full of compassion and knowing. But I just couldn't overlook what I truly was.

The sun filtered through the trees behind me breaking the shadows of night into smaller and smaller pieces. I stared at the forest and focused my thoughts to reach his, almost like squinting your eyes when trying to see something far away. When I finally caught the comforting timber of his thoughts, I felt the tension leave my body. He was running at a fast pace toward me. He was excited but, I didn't know why. He slowed to a trot just before exiting the tall red forest and came to a stop next to the tall boulder that threatened to fall into the water below.

"_Edward,"_ he said as he panted. "_Have you been here all night?"_ he asked confused. I nodded at him and then looked away. The excitement in his mind grew, he was happy that I wanted to see him again but, he also felt my mood. He dipped his head before sitting back on his haunches. "_Why?"_

"I like it here, this spot is serene and no other voices in my head," his head lifted quickly to look at me. If I concentrated hard enough, I would probably see his heart hit the ground beneath him. It hadn't come out the way I had intended. He thought I didn't want to see him. "Plus, I didn't want to be late seeing you."

He sighed in relief. I looked up at him and smiled hoping it would ease him. After a moment he laid down on his stomach and rested his head on his paws briefly closing his eyes. "_It must be difficult with all those voices in your head," _he said. "_At least I can phase and have some peace. Although, I find it comforting that I have friends who know everything about me without me having to explain it. The other side of it is that I know them too. We're a close pack."_

I could feel some of what he felt for his pack. I remembered seeing Jacob pull him into a hug, trying to comfort him even though he gave him an order. one Seth didn't like. When was the last time I saw that let alone felt it? Images of my vampire family shifted through my mind. I knew they loved me even with my past. They were able to overlook my mistakes and loved me despite it. I felt accepted by them and needed by them. I missed the small things like a playful hit to the shoulder from Emmett or a hug from Esme.

I wasn't like that with Alice. I closed myself off from her in that respect. It was Jasper who would act as a parent to her; holding her hand and playing games. He would sit still for hours while she applied makeup and nail polish on him and smile all while doing it. I denied her so much and it was all the things I cherished in the world. Everything that I missed of my family.

I turned my head away from my companion across the river, feeling ashamed for what I was and what I had done. I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, he should hate me.

"Seth don't," I said loudly over the rushing water. "Go back," I turned to watch him navigate the rocky riverbed with ease. His large body climbing up the bank. He slowly made his way toward me with his ears down, showing me that he wouldn't attack. The comforting feeling intensified with each step. My body felt like it was coming back to life with venom coursing through me as if my heart began to beat again. He brushed up against me and an unimaginable heat warmed me. It felt like the heat of the sun on a hot summer's day. I couldn't help but lean into the soft fur as he walked past.

"_It's okay, Edward. I have permission from my alpha_," he said sitting in front of me. I missed the heat instantly and looked at the fur wanting to run my fingers through it. Although vampires can feel the temperature, it didn't affect our bodies in any way. It didn't warm us up or cool us down, we remained the same cool temperature of a stone. I touched my hand to the shoulder he brushed against and felt the heat that lingered there. I lifted my head to look him in the eye.

"What is imprinting?" I asked. I needed to understand why he was able to affect me so much; his warmth, his emotions, just his mere presence seemed to change me in some way.

"_Imprinting is a rare connection that shapeshifters feel toward someone. It lasts a lifetime and never fades," _he answered. "_By some strange twist of fate, you are my imprint. Never before has a wolf imprinted on a cold one." _

"Is that why I feel things," I asked. "like the heat of your body?"

"_Probably but, I have no way of knowing because this has never happened before,"_ he leaned forward pressing his muzzle against my hand resting on my leg. Once again it felt like it was warming me from the inside out. I lifted my hand and touched the soft fur along his neck. It felt like strands of fine silk. I heard the contented rumble deep within his chest.

We sat there for another hour, his mind was quiet. I was mesmerized as I watched my fingers carding through the grey warmth. He whimpered when the sun rose high in the sky and I looked up to see him staring at me. "So beautiful," he thought. My brows furrowed in confusion. He was looking at the skin of a monster, it's what told the world what we were. Before I could say anything else, a howl cut through the trees. Seth's ears perked and I heard Jacob telling Seth to get back to the reservation quickly.

"Will you come back tomorrow," I asked him.

"_Same time,"_ He said.

**Seth POV**

I raced back to the reservation hoping that what Jacob was saying wasn't true. I hated leaving Edward, every step away from him was painful. But right then, I knew Paul needed me. Jacob quickly tried to explain that something was wrong with Rachel and the baby. I met him outside of their house and we both phased.

"Your mom and Emily are with her," he said as we climbed the stairs to the front door. "Sam called me looking for you."

"Where's Paul?" I asked immediately.

"He's here," Jacob said as he opened the door stepping inside the quaint house. It was a two-bedroom one-story with a kitchen, lounge, and bathroom. The entryway was small with hooks to hang our coats on and a basket Rachel still kept filled with cutoffs and old shorts for those of us who shifted and weren't always able to carry a spare on our leg.

I heard the moans coming from their bedroom along with quiet voices. Jacob made his way to the door and knocked softly. Emily opened the door just enough to slip through and closed it behind her. Her face was somber and she looked tired.

"Thank you for coming," she hugged Jacob and then me. "We think it's false labor but the contractions she's feeling are strong. It's too early for this sort of thing so, if it continues, we may need to bring her to the hospital," she explained. "We are trying to keep her calm and hope that it will stop on its own but," she looked back at the door for a moment. "Paul is beside himself and won't leave her. He's making her, anxious."

She looked back at me, pleading with her eyes. I looked at her warm brown eyes and soft features. The only thing that deterred from her beautiful face were the three scares from the time when Sam phased and she was standing too close. It was at a time early on when Sam wasn't as controlled with his wolf and it had been an accident but, he was always plagued with guilt. "_She is the most beautiful creature I've ever known and every time I see her face I'm reminded of her unbelievable strength. She forgave me the instant it happened but, forgiving one's self isn't always as easy."_ he said to me years after it happened. I nodded to her and then looked up at Jake who blew out a breath and ran a hand over his hair.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark room as I opened the door. It was midday but the drapes were shut blocking out the sun. Rachel seemed to be curled up on her side with Paul sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to us. He was leaning forward and I could hear him whispering to her with quick frantic words trying to reassure her the only way he knew how. Sue sat in the chair on the opposite side of the bed looking frustrated. She gave me a small smile as I approached.

"Paul," I said quietly, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Let's go make some coffee for the girls, I'm sure they could use it," I said knowing that he wouldn't listen to me telling him to give his wife some space.

"You make it," he snapped. "I'm not leaving."

"Paul, you need to get,"

"I'm not leaving!" his voice grew louder. His eyes were red and face was puffy. He looked exhausted. "Go fucking do it yourself!"

He looked up over my shoulder where Jake stood behind me. "You can't alpha order me anymore, Jake. Just fucking leave," he turned back to his wife.

"Paul, she needs rest. Why don't you," Sue began.

"Stay the fuck out of it Sue," he snapped. Rachel moaned and I could see her curling further into herself. Paul leaned in and began his mantra of 'I love you's' and 'everything will be okay's'. I saw her hand pushing at his shoulder silently telling him to stop but, he was oblivious to it.

When the agonizing sounds stopped and Rachel's body seemed to relax I decided to try again. Reaching out and grabbing his elbow, I pulled at it gently. "Paul, take a break," I said.

"No!" he whipped around facing me again. I could see it in his face. He wasn't himself and it was time to get him out of there. Jacob must have known as well because we both moved forward grabbing him by the arms and pulling him from the room. We dragged him outside, him fighting us the whole way. We tossed him to the ground and Jake sat on him trying to keep him from running back inside.

"If you are going to phase, I will not allow you to do it with your imprint and child laying next to you!" Jacob yelled in his face. "She needs some space and you need a break. She's going to be fine."

"I can't phase anymore, Jake," Paul yelled back.

"You sure about that?" Jake yelled back at him. "I'm not willing to take that chance, Paul. You don't seem in control."

"You have no right, I need to be in there," Paul sobbed. He closed his eyes and the tears streamed down his face. He was no longer fighting his former alpha.

"If roles were reversed, Paul I would hope you'd do the same for me," Jacob said quietly. When Jacob was sure Paul was calm he lifted off him and stood. Paul laid there, resigned. He finally wiped his eyes and blew out a breath. He looked up at me and I reached out my hand to pull him up. He ran his fingers through the back of his bed-head hair brushing away the bits of grass and dirt. Jacob put both hands on his shoulders.

"Sometimes the best way to protect our imprint is knowing when to ask for help. Let Sue and Emily do what they can, they've been through this before," Jacob gave his shoulders a squeeze and stepped away. "I'll go check on them. Seth, don't leave him," he ordered me. I rolled my eyes at him and shooed him with my hand. I watched him walk into the house closing the door behind him and turned back to Paul who was looking down wiping his eyes with a finger and thumb. I pushed my hands deep in my pockets and looked down at my feet.

"How long have you been up?" I asked without looking up.

"We haven't slept, she was feeling uncomfortable last night and it slowly got worse," he let out a long exhale and looked up. "I called Sue just before dawn."

I nodded my head and turned toward the house sitting on the top step of the small porch. I rested my elbows on my knees after picking up a blade of grass tearing it into long strips as I waited for him to join me. He did moments later, hesitantly sitting instead of going inside. We said nothing until I heard the muffled moan coming from inside. He put his head in his hands and his entire body tensed.

"Do you feel it, Paul?" I asked. "I mean can you sense it, what she feels?" he nodded and pulled his hands away from his face.

"It's the imprint, Seth," he said. "You feel what they feel. Not what they feel physically but, you feel their emotions. You want what they want. If they hurt, you hurt."

"Do they feel it too?"

"No, not the way we do," he turned his head to look at me. "Look, Rachel loves me. I know because I feel it from her. It is the absolute best feeling in the world," he smiled and shook his head looking out over the street of run down houses and less than modest cars. "But, it's our imprint, not theirs. It's our wolf that drives it."

Before I could ask him anything else, Jacob came outside.

"She seems to be feeling a little better. Sue and Em are going to stay," he relayed. "You need to get some rest Paul."

"I'll be fine, Jake," Paul snapped.

"I'll stay with him, Jake," I said trying to defuse the potential argument. "He'll sleep and shower before going back in there," Paul turned his head narrowing his eyes at me. My face showed him that there was no room for argument. "Even if I have to hog-tie him to the bed."

Paul couldn't hold his stoic face and smiled. We stood up and made our way back into the house. I led Paul to his spare bedroom and watched him slowly undress to his boxers as I leaned against the door frame. He let out a sigh before pulling back the blankets and crawling into bed. I went to the kitchen and brought back a bottle of water setting it on the nightstand, he was already asleep. I sat in the chair in the corner of the room and propped my feet up on the bed crossing my arms over my chest.

I thought about my imprint, his cool skin against my fur. He seemed to be able to feel from me what I did him but, maybe it was because he could read my thoughts. My wolf was still itching to go back to him. He was screaming at me to mate with him, to claim him. But, what if he only wanted friendship? What if he weren't gay? And even if he was, would he choose me?

"_You want what they want" _Paul had said.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I want to thank all my readers, alerters, faves, and reviewers. I truly appreciate your feedback. As always, I want to thank "Me" for all his help. He has the patience of a saint when it comes to my writing but, I couldn't do this without his support and pushing. He has started a new story "Screwed" and will begin posting soon. It is a Seth/Jacob story and I was completely blown away when I read the first chapter. **

**Enjoy! :D**

**Chapter 6**

**Edward POV**

I heard him telling me to get back to the house from about a mile away. I ignored him. I didn't want to leave my spot. I could hear his usually subtle gate clomping feet through the forest almost as if to alert me of his presence or maybe his irritation. I heard his throat clear as he stood in front of me playing my pretend game of 'ignore it and it will go away'.

"You've been out here for a day and a half," he stated. "Do you know how worried Alice is? She can't see you when you're here."

"You've seen me and I'm fine," I replied. Jasper grabbed my elbow and lifted me from the ground in one quick tug.

"That little girl is missing you, Ed," his voice was somber but firm. "Up until yesterday, she hadn't spent a day without you."

"Exactly, Jasper," I said with bit of a growl. "I needed a moment without her voice in my head, a day without having to recalculate our next step because a decision I made could alert someone to our presence."

"It's not her fault, Ed," he told me and not for the first time.

"I fucking know that!" I stopped and turned to face him. "She didn't choose this but guess fucking what, neither did I!"

He closed the gap between us his face only a few inches from mine. I could feel his anger toward me. "Quit living your life as a victim and start making something of yourself. You are doing no good wishing your life away. Count your blessings instead of your disappointments."

Jasper put a hand on the back of my neck and pulled me to him to rest our heads together. "She wants a family, Ed."

I squeezed my eyes shut knowing what he was saying. Over the years he could have taken her and made a life for her, giving her the family and friends she needed and wanted. But, he didn't. I'd even asked him on several occasions. He always refused. He would always tell me that she was better off with me. That wasn't really true, he thought I was better off with her.

"If you let her, she will be your family. And I think if you're honest with yourself, she already is," he whispered. I sighed and nodded in resignation. He let go of me with a final squeeze and stepped back. We walked back to the house at human speed, he wanted to give me time to mull over what he said but, I knew he would only let me contemplate over the short journey. He wasn't going to let me brood a minute longer, not where his precious Alice was concerned.

When we entered the house, I could hear Alice singing in her room. Jasper shoved me toward my room and told me to shower and get dressed for town. Apparently it was time to make an appearance. I turned on the water and stripped out of the soiled clothes I'd worn for days. It wasn't from me per say but, from sitting in the grass and the misty rain for more than a day. We no longer had to deal with sweat or body odor, our skin was basically stone. I climbed in wetting my hair first.

The feel of the water on my skin brought me back to him, to the place and reason I hadn't been home. My shoulder and hands still held the memory of the heat from him. They were still warm when Jasper found me. I turned the water on its hottest setting hoping I could recapture the feeling. Although I could feel the hot water, it wasn't the same. It didn't penetrate through me, it didn't make me feel... alive. His touch seemed to electrify me. It was the same as his emotions piercing through my granite like exterior.

Disappointed, I turned off the water and grabbed a towel. "_Imprinting is a rare connection that shapeshifters feel toward someone. It lasts a lifetime and never fades," _I still didn't understand what it meant, a connection. I could feel it, I craved it. But, what did it all mean? Was it the same as a singer to a vampire? I'd heard about singers but never experienced one myself. They were called singers because their blood called to us. It was far more potent and exhilarating than the blood of anyone else to its chosen vampire.

I made my way from my en suite bathroom to my bedroom where my clothes had been laid out for me. who put them there; Jasper or Alice, I didn't know. Probably both with Alice seeing what I wore and Jasper pulling the outfit from my closet. I dressed quickly and ran a hand through my unmanageable hair, sighing at what Jasper planned to do that afternoon.

Jasper and Alice were waiting for me in the kitchen both wearing jackets to keep up the ruse that we were human on that chilly day. "I only got them this morning," he handed me my new driver's license and showed me his. "We are cousins. Your parents died in a car accident leaving Alice in your care. You're from Chicago and I hale from the great state of Texas," he chuckled. "Our mothers were sisters. You can make up the rest."

"What's left?" I said sarcastically. "You seem to have it all figured out."

"Come on, Eddy!" Alice said with a slight pout. I nodded in resignation.

I drove the shiny new Volvo Jasper had purchased over the last week to the playground that sat on the edge of the small town. Alice looked out the window with her eyes wide taking in the ordinary town. It had grown a bit since I was here last. Of course back then, the roads were dirt and without concrete sidewalks. A few of the buildings remained but housed newer, more modern wares. It certainly wasn't a town that catered to the rich but, a lower middle class lifestyle. I was guessing the only crime this town saw was an occasional drunk driver or high school prank.

I could hear their thoughts the moment I parked on the street next to the outdated playground. We exited the car slowly not wanting to the occupants of the park to be more apprehensive than they already were. Three children; two boys and a girl sat atop the monkey bars oblivious to our presence while the two babysitters stood from the bench practically ready to phase. I plucked out their names from their heads as we approached cautiously.

"Quil, Embry," I said when we were about twenty feet from the large men. They stood well over six-foot, towering over Jasper and I. They were built like muscular tanks with short dark hair and the caramel skin I found so beautiful. I could feel the almost undetectable calm that Jasper emitted. He was trying to ease them but, not so quickly as to alert them of his gift.

"I think it would be better if you left," Quil said firmly. He was worried for all three children but in particular, the small girl.

"Let me reassure you that we have no ulterior motives. We only want to help Alice fit in with the human population," I said in a pleading tone. Both shifters were very torn at the idea of us being there. First and foremost on their minds was the safety of their charges but, it was their thoughts of Seth that kept them from picking up the kids and racing for home. In their minds, they equated shunning a pack mate's imprint as the same as shunning their brother himself. It was a feeling of utter sorrow. It still wasn't enough to convince them though.

"Quilly?" the small native girl put her hand in his and looked up at him. The huge man picked her up as if she were a mere doll and held her tightly to him. His protectiveness was so powerful it was hard for Jasper to quell it. "Who are they?" She whispered in his ear. She had no idea that we could all hear her. "Do you think she will play with me?" She asked softly.

Who would have thought the naivety of a small girl would be what soothed him? She pulled back slightly in the large man's hold to look him in the eye waiting for her answer. He looked at her for a long moment before glancing over at us. The girl looked over at Alice who gave her a smile and wave. The young native girl put her head in the crook of Quil's neck shyly smiling back at my sister who was bouncing on the balls of her feet with sheer excitement.

"Nothing will happen but even if she were to think of," I tapped my temple trying to remind him of my ability without saying it in front of the girl. He let out a sigh and nodded.

"You know the rules, no leaving the play area, right?" He said to her. She nodded and wiggled trying to get out of his hold. The mountain of a man set her down as if she were a porcelain doll. I squeezed Alice's shoulder and looked at her pointedly.

"I know, Eddy and I'm fine," she said in her head. I searched her mind coming up blank but, I did see us on our way home in the car, Alice talking excitedly about her new friend. I knew that at least nothing horrific would happen. The girls ran to the swings and Quil did everything he could think of to stay where he was. Not even Jasper could get him to relax.

"She's your daughter?" I asked. He looked at me and then Embry as if asking a question. Embry gave him a simple nod.

"My imprint," he said before looking back at me. "I imprinted the day I met her, she was just a baby then."

I stood there staring at him, dumbfounded. I was still trying to figure out what Seth's imprinting on me really meant. It was a connection he said. What did that mean? Somehow they would be linked together for life? Quil's mind was filled with images of her growing up, it was as if he were an older brother. It looked much the same as Alice and Jasper but, much stronger.

The four of us stood watching the kids play, the boys in the fort at the top of the slide and the girls on the swings. Her name was Claire, Quil's mind was screaming wanting to call her back to him and she talked almost as fast as Alice did, telling her about the school she went to and then about the beach near their house. They seemed to click instantly; giggling and laughing. Quil was finally given a reprieve when Claire called him over to push her. Alice looked up to us with a pout. It wasn't that she tired or wasn't strong enough, she could swing herself around the bar itself. Jasper made to go to her but, I put a hand to his chest and smiled at him before walking up behind her.

We spent nearly two hours at the playground and I was even roped into a game of tag but was told I had to walk on my knees to make it fair. I also ended up with a handful of sand down the back of my shirt, still unsure how I was caught off guard. But, I had four giggling kids each pointing to the other. Jasper stayed close to the shifters trying to keep them calm and kept up a steady stream of chit-chat about the town and the weather. Nothing of real consequence.

"Thanks for letting us stay," I said to the men as we were leaving. "It means a lot," I held out my hand for Embry to shake which he did hesitantly and then Quil. Although their skin felt far warmer than that of a human, it wasn't the way it had been with Seth.

"Maybe," Quil cleared his throat. "Maybe they could play together again sometime."

"Alice would love that," I replied. "Thanks."

We drove home and it was exactly how Alice had imagined it. Jasper and I chuckled at her excitement as she told everything that happened as if we hadn't been there to see it for ourselves. She was a soda all shook up, and it felt as if she would explode.

I sat in the living room when we arrived home my mind going back to Seth as it always seemed to over the last few days; the heat of his skin, the emotions I felt coming from him, the brief moment I saw him in his human form. I thought of how protective Quil was with Claire. Was that how Seth felt about me? Or were the connections different? My head just didn't get it.

Jasper plopped down beside me and sighed. "These outings will get easier, Ed," he said. I nodded absently. "What's up?" he asked. "It's about the imprinting isn't it?"

"Seth said that it was a connection between,"

Jasper began chuckling before I could finish. "Ed, you can't be this clueless."

"What do you mean?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. I was so absorbed in my thoughts and Jasper, I hadn't even realized he was near. I jumped up and immediately opened the door. He wore a pair of basketball shorts and a white tee. He was built much like his pack brothers although slightly taller. I had to look up to see his face; deep brown eyes, jet black hair, and a smile that stretched across his face.

"Hey, um what um," I said.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all for your support of my story. I'm sorry about the late post, RL is a bitch sometimes. A very very special thank you to "Me" for his help with this chapter. He is an amazing co-writer and is always there when I get stuck. He would tell you that he didn't do anything that would warrant that title but, I would still be working on this chapter if it weren't for his help. I think he understands my characters better than I do. Check out his stories "Click" which is coming to it's end :( and "Screwed" which has only just begun :) I'm so excited for it. **

**Chapter 7**

**Seth POV**

When Paul woke after several hours, he seemed much more relaxed. Rachel was also able to rest when her false contractions subsided. Embry arrived at the house to relieve me, Jacob didn't want to leave Paul alone just in case he lost control again.

"I saw Edward today," Embry said as I was pulling on my shoes. My head shot up to look up at him wondering if something had happened. "He was at the playground with Alice and Jasper. He wanted her to be around people."

"How was he? Did anything happen? What did he say?" I barraged him with questions. He held up his hands in surrender and smiled at me.

"Chill, Seth," he shook his head. "Didn't you just see him this morning?"

"Yeah, but," I ran my hand through my hair. My heart clenched slightly with envy. I wished it would've been me with him. I wanted to be with him at every possible chance.

"He was good. Quil wasn't happy he was there, especially with Claire," he sighed. "I don't know how he was able to let her be around the leeches but,"

"Don't call them that," I growled.

"I'm sorry, shit. I know, I didn't mean it, fuck," he fumbled rubbing his hand over his face. I knew that it would be hard for everyone, in particular the pack to accept him. Our whole lives we'd been taught to hate them, to seek them out, and kill them. It was why shifters existed. I couldn't blame him exactly but, I wasn't going to listen to him call my imprint names. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," was all I could muster. "Look, I gotta go," I told him as I turned to the door.

"Hey, Jacob said we should have a bonfire tonight. Sort of a way for us to meet Ed," he said. My first thought was that I would get to see him again tonight instead of waiting sleeplessly until morning. But, the next thought was that he would be walking into the line of fire. "It would only be the elders and the pack with their significant others. Brady will be here in about hour."

"I'll ask," I said before leaving. I went home feeling tired and anxious. I both wanted him to say yes and no at the same time. No one was home with mom still with Rachel and Leah away in Seattle. I jumped in the shower before letting it warm up. I was hoping it wake me up a bit. Even after everything that happened that day, the only thing, the only person I thought of was Edward. My wolf was still clawing to go to him, My cock twitched at the thought of his cool fingers weaving through my fur and his smooth voice. The way his skin glimmered in the sun almost blindingly. He was breathtaking.

I washed my hair quickly and ran the soap over my body letting the water rinse it away. I was suddenly excited to see him and I didn't care what everyone else thought of him, I wanted him there. I strapped a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt to my leg before running out the back door and phasing as I entered the forest.

I stepped up to the front door feeling my nerves vibrating through my body. I knocked and the door flew open endless moments later, my beautiful imprint stood there surprise and confusion rolling off him.

"Hey, um what, um," he stuttered.

"Hi Ed," I sounding more confident than I really was. "I didn't have your number so, I thought I'd come here. I hope it's okay."

"Um yeah," he nodded. He seemed to be nervous, running his hand through his hair. "Do you want to come in?" he asked moving to the side. I stepped in slowly and looked around the tastefully decorated house. It was much nicer than the houses on the reservation but not overly so. Jasper stood to greet me and the small pixie bounded out of a room from down the hallway.

"Come in, make yourself at home," Jasper said with a hint of southern drawl.

"Hi Seth," Alice said stepping forward and holding out her hand.

I shook it and smiled at her. "Good to see you again," I told her. Her hand felt cold, not the soothing temperature of my imprint and her scent wasn't intoxicating like his. But, it also wasn't repulsive like other cold ones I'd had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting. Maybe it was because they lived off animals or perhaps that she was around my imprint so much.

"Well, it was nice to meet you formally, Seth but, Alice and I need to go," Jasper said avoiding an awkward silence. Jasper winked at Edward and I heard a quiet hiss from my imprint and I felt a wash of embarrassment flow over me from Edward. I looked up at his narrowing eyes as he watched the two leave.

"What was that about?" I said lifting my brows at him.

"Nothing," he nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I um,"

"We are having a bonfire tonight down at the beach," I said. "Will you come?"

"I can't cross,"

"You can. The elders made an exception," I told him.

"Why? Because of the imprint?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, they can't keep us apart," I said hoping I hadn't given away too much. It's not that I didn't want him to know, he just wasn't ready to hear it. "I want you to come and meet everyone. They want to meet you too," I said not really sure if it was the truth. He stared at me, his emotions were a bit scattered but, confusion seemed to be the overwhelming feeling. He pushed his hands deep into his pockets and let out a breath. He looked so human in that moment, awkward and contemplative. He finally nodded and my heart soared.

"Alice and Jasper should be home in a few hours," he started.

"Edward, the thing is, they can't come, not yet. Give them time to know you and then, maybe," I trailed off his face dropping at my admission. I hated feeling his sadness. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around him and comfort him. I took a step closer to him breathing in his scent, the one I craved when we were apart. My hand brushed against him with a barely-there touch that set off the butterflies in my stomach. Edward's eyes fell to where our hand meet briefly and a small smile crossed his face. He looked back up at me chewing his bottom lip making him look sweet and innocent. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine a soft blush on his cheeks. Licking my lips, I let my hand touch his again, this time not pulling it away. His soft smile became a bit more pronounced. My wolf roared, happy to have the touch we both needed.

"You're so warm," he whispered. If it wasn't for my wolf hearing, I wouldn't have heard it.

I reached out my hand to take his. His pale skin contrasted perfectly with mine, just like his cool temperature. His eyes closed again as if he were trying to just feel only my warmth and tune out the rest of the world. My heart raced, beating enough for the both of us. I could feel his happiness, I dared not hope for more.

I rubbed my thumb back and forth on the inside of his wrist as he stood motionless. His eyes opened and I could swear I saw unshed tears. I slowly raised my hand, never looking away from the golden pools that seem to stare through me, and placed it on his cheek. His breath hitched and he leaned into it before placing his hand over mine.

"It feels," he paused. "It's so warm and it makes me feel alive," I couldn't help the smile I gave him. My whole body practically vibrating knowing that my imprint was happy, that I made him that way. It was the first time since meeting him that I felt that from him. I wondered when the last time he felt anything good. We stood there for a few moments before he took a step back, pulling away. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the floor. My wolf whimpered at the loss but, I'd pushed him far enough.

"I um," he placed the hand I was holding in mine to his chest and covered it with the other almost as if he were protecting it. I started to worry if he regretted our moment of intimacy. In that moment, he seemed so happy but, would he feel uncomfortable when thought back on it?

"When do we leave?" he asked and my anxiety left me. He still wanted to come. "Do the others really want me there? Is it safe?"

I once again took a step toward him dipping my knees to look into his downcast eyes. "They do but," I dared to put both hands on his face, partly to feel the closeness but mostly, to ease his fear. "Even if they didn't, I would protect you from them," I paused, "with my life."

"But, they are your pack, your family," he shook his head.

"And you are my imprint. They would never hurt you if for no other reason than it would hurt me. When you hurt, I hurt. Do you not feel that?" I asked him referring to the current that seemed to flow between us. He nodded at me. "It's the connection of the imprint. It means that I will here for you whenever or however you need me," we stood there, him searching my eyes, my mind.

I let go of his face and took a step back hating it but, he needed the space to take in everything I told him. He still held his hands to his heart, I didn't think he knew he was even aware of it. His eyes searched my face as if looking for any doubt as to what I'd said. I pushed my hands into my pockets trying to resist the urge to touch him again.

"I swear, nothing will happen," he nodded again and looked away.

"So, um, what do I wear?" he asked. I almost laughed at the simple question.

"Jeans and t-shirts, we don't have much use for any other clothes. And a jacket, it gets cold," he interrupted me with a loud guffaw breaking the tension. I chuckled along with him. "We should be there at dusk," I looked out the window to see the late afternoon sun.

"I'll change and we can leave. Make yourself at home," he said before leaving the kitchen. I decided to take a look around the house. We past two doors on the way to the kitchen, one was a small bathroom and the next looked like a small office with a desk and computer along with several bookshelves. I ran my fingers over the spines seeing if we shared any of the same interests.

I walked into the living room and saw the large fireplace. The mantle held several framed pictures and I walked over for a closer look. They were mostly of Edward and Alice, a picture of Jasper with Alice riding piggy-back, and one of a group including Edward. They were all posing and smiling for the camera. They all seemed genuinely happy, including Edward. This had to have been his family.

"It was," he said from behind me. I jumped and he chuckled.

"This was Carlisle and Esme," he said reaching around my shoulder to point out the people in the picture. My wolf was bouncing with excitement at the closeness but for me, it was his willingness to be close. He wasn't afraid, I hadn't scared him off with my actions from earlier.

"We should go," he said bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded placing the picture back on the mantle. He opened the door and we stepped outside. "If you want, I could drive," he offered. I almost said no, wanting to phase into my wolf. But, that was the problem, it would mean undressing in front of him. I wasn't ashamed or shy but, I didn't know he felt about it. We had to move slowly, he was still getting used to having his hand held or a touch to the cheek. Seeing me naked was probably a step too far.

"Yeah, that would be great," I replied. He pushed in the code for the garage and we both climbed in. We drove to the beach without saying much, the radio played softly. I started out giving him directions but he told me he could see in my head the way to go. I had him park in my driveway from where we could walk. I was getting a bit nervous at the reception we would receive. I knew in my heart that these were my family and friends but, I couldn't help think of Embry from this morning and his slip of the tongue. Would they truly accept him as my imprint?

His cool hand wrapped around mine and I looked over at him. "Are you sure I should be here?" he asked his voice full of concern but, I could feel a small bit of fear coming from him. I put on my best smile and squeezed his hand.

"You belong here, Edward."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I want to thank those of you who read, alert, fave, and review. I so glad you are enjoying my little story. I want to thank "Me" for all the help and encouragement he gives me. Without it, this story wouldn't exist. Please check out his story "Screwed". I would also like to thank a friend (you know who you are) for his help not only with this story but someone who has been there for me in RL. I'm sending them both cyber kisses and hugs :* Enjoy :D**

**Chapter 8**

**Edward POV**

As I drove, I saw the doubt in his mind as to how I would be greeted by his tribe. I was without words as to what he said. "_I would protect you from them, with my life." _I knew he was genuine and he truly believed in my heart that he meant it when he said it but, if he were faced with it, if someone were to try to attack me, would he really go up against his pack brother or even his alpha?

How was it possible that someone, let alone a shifter created to rid the world of cold ones, would be willing to die for me? What had I ever done to deserve such a sacrifice? Death was the best I deserved. And to protect me against the family and tribe who loved him, it seemed impossible that an imprint could be so important.

I pulled into the driveway of his home. The modest one story house looked well-kept with flowers framing the small porch and the large forest towering behind. He was bouncing his knee anxiously. I grabbed his warm hand feeling it seep beneath my cold skin. I didn't think I'd ever get used to the feeling. I was craving his it, needing to find a reason to touch him.

"Are you sure I should be here?" I asked him.

"You belong here, Edward," he smiled at me. His words washed over me. Even with my family I never felt I totally belonged. I was always the fifth wheel. Seth wanted me here not just as part of a group but me, just me. "Come on, let's go," he smiled and squeezed my hand before jumping out of the car. The heat of his hand lingered and I pressed it against my chest. I didn't realize I was still sitting in the car until my door opened. "You coming?" I nodded climbing out.

"Okay, the elders will be here and all of the pack and their imprints," he started as we made our way down the street and then to the beach. I could smell the briny ocean the moment I got out of the car. The ocean was loud with the tide crashing on the stoney beach and the occasional sounds of gulls filled the air. The last of the sun dipped below the horizon casting the sky in colors ranging from orange to blue. "There are only four of us who still phase,"

"Embry and Quil were at the park this morning," I told him. "Claire and Alice got along like two peas in a pod," I smiled thinking our morning out. Alice had done amazingly well and it was only her first real encounter. Although, the unappetizing scent of wolves helped keep her thirst at bay.

"Claire is Sam and Emily's youngest. When Quil imprinted on her it was a surprise, she was just a baby," he explained. "It was the biggest age difference since long before my generation."

"Well, I guess that's another record we've set," I chuckled. He turned to me with his infectious smile, his eyes glistening.

I could hear the gathering further down the beach, not only their conversations but, their apprehensive thoughts about having a vampire among them. No one sounded aggressive but, they were definitely on high alert. As we approached, the conversations died down and everyone looked over at us. Seth pulled my hand from my pocket and squeezed. I never felt so out of my depth than at that moment; not when I first woke from my transformation, not when I took on the care of a twelve-year-old girl, not even when I first met my imprintor. I was surrounded by a group of people who were taught to hate me. The only thing that kept me from running was the hand that held mine.

"I'm glad you came, Seth," Jacob emerged from the group and pulled him into a hug. '_Just let them get used to it,_ Seth' he whispered into Seth's ear before pulling away. He turned to face me and held out his hand. "Thanks for coming, Ed," I shook his hand and noticed that it was warm but, nothing like Seth's touch.

"Hi Eddy," I heard the familiar voice from that morning. Claire waved at me from the arms of a beautiful woman with long black hair and the caramel skin that was shared with the entire group. Although, it was marred by three scars on one cheek. They seemed to be claw marks, slightly jagged but spaced evenly. I also saw Clair's brothers throwing a football further down the beach. I gave her a small smile and wave.

"Here," Embry held out a beer for Seth. "Good to see you again, Ed," he smiled at me before wrapping his arm around the alpha. Seth and I shared the same thought, we wished everyone would go back to their own conversations. The whole thing felt awkward, as if everyone was holding their breath waiting for something to happen.

"Seth!" a voice yelled from behind us. We turned to see it's owner jogging toward us from the direction we came. He looked much like the other men of the tribe but somewhat shorter. His face looked warm and in his mind, he was excited to see his old friend. He practically jumped at Seth wrapping his arms around him. "You haven't been to the city since I left. You promised, you prick," he said patting Seth on the back.

"Hey Bray," Seth kept my hand in his putting the other around his friend. "Been busy, took over your patrols, asshole," he joked. "It's good to see you, man," he squeezed my hand and looked at me. "Edward, this is Brady Fuller," Seth said. "Bray, this is Edward Cullen."

"Hey, Ed," he said when he finally pulled away from Seth. I held out my hand to shake his as I read his thoughts. He seemed to be far less hesitant about my presence than many of the others. In fact, the reason he'd made the trip home was to support Seth. "It's good to meet you."

"You too," I replied.

"Come on, guys. I want Ed to meet dad," Jacob said. He and Embry lead us over to a man in a wheelchair with a plate of food balanced on his lap. His eyes had been on me from the moment we arrived. He was one of the older of the group from one of the generations that didn't phase. I could see his grandfather in his eyes the same way that I saw it in Jacob's. They held a great wisdom and understanding within them.

"Edward Cullen, this is my dad, William Ephraim Black, chief of the Quileute tribe," he placed a hand on his father's shoulder, with a prideful smile on his face. It was obvious Jacob held his father in high regard.

"I never thought I'd see the day," he said as he held out his hand. An image of a younger version of him sitting with Ephraim, the man I met so many years ago. They had a large book, possibly a journal, shared over their laps. He was explaining to his grandson about the cold ones and the treaty they had granted us. He was preparing the young man to lead the tribe one day or possibly even become alpha. Of course, William never phased. "My grandfather spoke highly of the golden-eyed vampires," he'd said it. He was the first of the group to acknowledge out loud that I was,

"_Are you okay?"_ Seth asked wordlessly. I wanted to run. I was embarrassed of what I was. All of these people looking at the monster wondering if I would lose control. They had every right to think that, I'd killed in the past. "_Edward?"_ he squeezed my hand. I stood frozen not knowing what to do. I didn't want to be there anymore, I could hear the uneasy whispers and the concerned thoughts of those around me.

I remained with my feet planted, refusing to give up. I focused on Seth's touch and the soothing timber in his voice. If he were willing to lay down his life for me, I had to prove I was worth it. I nodded and looked at him before turning back to the chief.

"Your grandfather was a good man, Chief Black," I shook his hand.

"It's Billy," he smiled. "No one calls me that although, you could teach these cubs some manners," he said looking around sternly at the young men standing near us. Jacob tried to hold in his chuckle and Seth rolled his eyes. When his eyes met mine, he winked and smirked. "Please sit down," he gestured to the log that sat next to him.

The elder who sat opposite from us, sighed with irritation and immediately stood walking over to the large table of food. He wasn't happy with my presence. Seth squeezed my hand again and gave me a small smile.

"Don't mind him, Edward. He'll come around." he patted my shoulder. We talked of the time I spent here more than seventy years ago, he wanted to know about the battles and people who were here. He asked if I could come by and help him fill in the journals from those times. His mind was excited with the unique opportunity of picking my brain a bit. I didn't know how much I could offer him but, I was elated I could help. "I'm going to get something to eat," Seth said after quietly listening to our conversation. "I'll be right back, okay?" He looked at me pointedly making sure I would be comfortable with him leaving me there.

"I'm fine," not really sure but, I wanted him to enjoy himself. He was only a few feet from me when Claire climbed onto the log next to me folding her hands in her lap and smiling up at me. She was the only person here who wasn't concerned about what I was. Her mind was pure and innocent, free of the worries that burdened the rest of the group.

"Alice didn't come with you," she said with a bit of a pout.

"Not this time," I replied.

"We'll find another time to get you girls together," the beautiful woman I saw carrying her earlier said. "My name is Emily," she said sitting next to Claire. "I hope she isn't bothering you?"

"No, not at all."

"She hasn't spoken about anything else since she returned home this morning," she laughed and I couldn't help but join her thinking of Alice's chatter on the way home.

Seth hadn't been gone long and sat across from us along with Brady and Quil. I was already craving his touch, my fingers itching to feel his warmth. I missed the comfort it gave me. I could see in his mind that he wanted the same. The ache for him was almost painful.

"...maybe next week we could go," Emily's voice brought me back.

I nodded to her plucking from her mind the part of the conversation I'd missed. "That would be great, I know Alice would love to see Claire again."

"_He's got to be crazy"_ I heard in his mind before he began yelling. "That is your wife and daughter," the elder who walked away from me earlier was yelling at another man. "That _monster_ is the same as the rest of them. Do you not remember how your mother died, Samuel? How can you,"

"Step off, old man," the younger native interrupted pointing his finger at the elder. "He's Seth's imprint and I trust in that," everyone stopped to listen to the argument. They stood there neither giving into the other until the elder turned to those of us sitting around the fire.

"You'll all be sorry," he yelled. "His true nature will come through. He's a cold one! Our legends are filled with them, our cemetery is filled with their victims!" Seth stood moving to stand near me close enough that his knee pressed against mine. "This isn't an imprint. They have the ability to attract their victims, they,"

"I think you need to leave," another tall man appeared from behind them. "The decision has been made and Seth has the right to bring him here."

"The safety of our tribe is on the line, Paul!" Incredulity dripping from his tone. "You are supposed to protect us from,"

"From threats, Quil! He isn't a threat, he's Seth's imprint! One of our pack brothers, a man who keeps you safe while you sleep. Rejecting his imprint means rejecting him or worse, killing him. Is that what you want?" Paul argued. Seth remained standing next to me and I could feel his body trembling. I could only see the anger in his mind. I reached up to grab his hand, the heat was even greater. He was trying not to phase but everything in him was screaming to protect me, even from mere words.

My touch seemed to ease him slightly but, I couldn't help feeling that he could lose control at any moment. "Seth," I tugged his hand trying to get his attention from the irate man. He glanced at me but, his mind was focused on one thing.

It felt like everything moved in slow motion, I picked up not only Claire but her mother and threw them backward when Seth's wolf could no longer be held back. I turned to see grey fur headed for the man who held such disdain for me.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you "Me" for your neverending help with this story. Enjoy :D**

**Chapter 9**

**Seth POV**

The pure hatred our wolves held for the cold ones is what gave us the courage to hunt them down and destroy them. When we were faced with a blood sucking leech, was when our wolf was most in control. They clouded our judgment and forced us to risk life and limb in order to kill them. It was more than just instinctive, it was an undeniable obligation our wolves forced on us. We were almost powerless to it; the need to kill them was more important than breathing.

As I listened to old man Quil spewing his hatred for my imprint, my wolf began to take over much like it did when on the hunt for vampires except with an emotional kick. It was one thing to keep guard your tribe but, as I was about to find out, nothing could keep a wolf from protecting it's imprint. I stood up next to Edward as if my body could shield him from the words the elder was yelling. I couldn't imagine what he was hearing in the old man's head and it infuriated my wolf. My head was so focus on my wolf's need to protect, I almost didn't feel his soothing hand in mine. The touch that my world now craved and consumed my thoughts, the one that made my wolf roar with pleasure. Nothing could deter me from the need to protect Edward.

I was in wolf form before I had a chance to even think about what I was doing. I launched myself toward the man who had, along with the other elders, told me the stories and legends from the time I could walk, who was there to comfort me when dad died, who I considered family. I considered his grandson a true brother, not just a pack mate. I had only known Edward a few days and my wolf disregarded all else. I flew through the air for only a second when I was hit on the shoulder deflecting me away from my target.

"Jared!" I heard Embry scream. "Get him out of here and take Emily and Claire with you!"

I felt the familiar bite of my alpha around my neck along with the scent of Brady lying across my torso.

"_Shift Seth!"_ he ordered. My wolf growled trying to ignore the order. His jaws tighten slightly and my wolf panted trying to maintain control. I watched as Jared took Quil Sr. by the arm and pulled him down the beach with Emily and a screaming Claire running to keep up. My wolf snarled wanting to chase him down. "_SHIFT,"_ my alpha repeated his teeth dug further into my neck.

It was moments later when I felt it, the calming touch of his cool skin. His fingers gently combing the fur at the back of my leg. I closed my eyes savoring the feeling like a cool breeze on a very hot day. I felt the heat dissipating from my body and the rage changing into something less feral. The last of the sun was swallowed up by the ocean and darkness fell over me.

When I woke, it was in my childhood bedroom. I felt groggy and achy, my eyes not wanting to open, my body not wanting to move. I felt my hand wrapped in his as his thumb drew circles on the inside of my wrist. He was humming softly but, I didn't recognize what it was. My wolf was completely subdued, the first time since meeting my imprint. I could happily stay there forever if it weren't for my stomach and the need to take a piss.

"Nothing a caterer and a catheter couldn't handle," he chuckled. "I could make some calls." I smiled at his joke and cracked open my eyes to see my beautiful pale imprint. He sat beside me smiling, holding my hand on his lap. "How are you feeling?" he asked unnecessarily. He could have seen it in my mind.

"Tired," I shrugged. It was still night, the moon casting its glow through the open window. "What time is it?" I asked him.

"Just after midnight," he sighed. "You've been out for over twenty-four hours."

"What!" I had been sleeping for a full day? My mind recalling my last memory, lying on the beach with the most vivid piece being my imprint's touch. "What happened?"

"After you blacked out, I carried you home," he said.

"You did?"

"Well, you wouldn't let anyone else," he chuckled. I furrowed my brows. I couldn't remember anything. "I should say that the only way to keep you calm was if I was touching you, it was just easier to carry you."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly and looked down at the hands that still held mine. His thumb never stopped its circles. We sat there for a long time not talking in a comfortable silence. I wasn't sure what to say, the events of the other day came back to me slowly. Mostly, I saw red but, I remembered Claire and Emily running down the beach, away from me. I was the one they were afraid of. I'd lost control and could have hurt them. I felt the tears roll down my face and closed my eyes in a vain attempt to stop them. I was cursing my wolf for being so careless.

A quiet knock at the door broke me from my thoughts and Jacob entered and huffed when he saw me. He closed the door and pushed his hands into his pockets.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired, achy, like I ran into a brick wall," I shrugged.

"You did, well two of them actually," he smiled solemnly. "First, you phased and out of nowhere, so did Brady who pushed you to the ground," he sighed and pull one hand from his pocket running it through his hair. "He wasn't feeling all that good yesterday morning either. And second, you decided to ignore my orders," he looked back at me and then to Edward. "That takes a hell of a lot of strength."

"It wasn't, it was," my mouth opened and closed several times trying to find the right words.

"You're wolf was in control, I get it, Seth," he said walking around to sit opposite of my imprint toward the end of the bed. "Your wolf will take over if he feels your imprint is threatened in any way. I've felt it with Embry time and time again. But, Seth,"

"Yeah?"

"I've never had a pack member do what you did. You phased because old man Quil was talking shit, a human no less. Edward was in no danger,"

"How would you react if it had been Embry?" I growled.

"Seth, when I first phased, I immediately imprinted on Embry. He isn't a vampire but, they still didn't believe it was a true imprint. I sat and listened to them talk about it being a disgrace and shameful, they just couldn't believe their alpha was gay. No one on the committee at that time, with the exception of dad believed it was true. It was the pack who finally convinced them. I held Embry night after night as he cried blaming himself completely. My wolf wanted to tear them all to shreds. But, I never phased unless Embry was in physical danger."

"What are you saying, Jake?"

"I'm saying," he paused blowing out a dramatic breath. "You phased with Claire and Emily inches away from you, Seth. You tried to attack a tribe member, an elder for fuck's sake! What if next time no shifter is around?" his voice grew louder. I took a good look at my alpha, his shoulders sagging in defeat his cheeks puffy. He obviously hadn't slept in some time.

"Jake, I,"

"He can stay with us," Edward said. "At least for a while."

"Wait, what?"

"Seth, you can't,"

"You're kicking me out of the reservation!"

"No!" he yelled as he stood. "You can stay but, you have to be with a shifter at all times and Edward," I looked up at my imprint. He nodded his head once and looked away. "We couldn't stop you alone, Seth."

"What the hell happened?" I said. I pushed my aching body to sit up against the headboard and Edward sat next to me never letting go of my hand. My wolf was practically purring at the contact seemingly unperturbed by what was being said but, Edward's hand was starting to feel more and more like a handcuff.

"You wouldn't submit to me until he touched you. When you shifted and Edward pulled away his hand, you phased. He's been with you the entire time," Jacob explained. "I don't know if I can hold you back."

I jerked my hand from Edward's grasp and heard him hiss softly. I looked over at him as he turned his head from me. His hands fell to the bed on each side of his body gripping the blankets beneath them, threatening to tear them. He wasn't happy I'd pulled my hand away.

"I'm fine, Jake."

"Seth, I can't take that chance," he shook his head. "It's strong, Seth. I've never felt a shifter fight me like that and Edward was in no real danger!" he yelled. "Can you honestly say you could control yourself if something else happened?"

I huffed and looked away from him. I had lost control completely, putting everyone at risk and it happened so fast. I shook my head in resignation and tucked my hand under Edward's fist, unfurling the fingers and entwining his with mine. His body relaxed slightly and he breathed out. Jacob moved to lean over me and kissed the top of my head.

"I don't want you to go, Seth," he said as he leaned away from me picking up my other hand. "You are always welcome here, we just need to be sure," he trailed off.

"I know," I nodded.

"Take care of him, Edward," Jacob said as he left the room closing the door behind him. Edward reluctantly let go of my hand and stood up reaching under my bed pulling out my duffel bag and backpack.

"I um," he turned to my dresser pulling out clothes and placed them on the bed. "I'm going to get your toiletries and you can um," he glanced at me shyly before leaving. It occurred to me that I wasn't dressed. In fact, I probably hadn't been since phasing on the beach.

I slowly uncovered myself and forced my legs over the edge of the bed. I picked up the boxers he left for me and leaned to ease them over my feet and up to my knees. I did the same with the shorts and then stood up slowly, every muscle in my body protesting as I pulled them up to my waist. I pulled the shirt over my head and sat back down feeling unusually tired.

Edward returned and raced around my room at vampire speed piling clothes into my bags along with my phone, charger, and wallet. "Is there anything else?" he asked. "We can always come back if we forget anything," I shook my head and closed my eyes fatigue getting the better of me.

I was only moderately aware of being carried and my mind was foggy but, filled with the scent and touch of my imprint. I could tell we were moving not from being jostled but, because I felt the typical moisture in the air so prevalent in this part of the world and the woodsy smells of the forest as we made our way to Edward's home.

When I woke, seemingly hours later, I still felt the soothing presence of my imprint my hand once again wrapped in his. I opened my eyes watching him pull my wrist to his face inhaling deeply. A feeling of complete calm fell over him as he cradled it against his cheek closing his eyes.

"Ed?" I asked wishing it was me who could read minds. Giving him a closer look, I could see around his the faint purple hue of the skin around his eyes even in the dim light of dawn coming through the windows. "Are you okay?"

He nodded his head slightly against my hand. "When you phased at the beach," he said without opening his eyes, "your mind was… it was completely spontaneous. It was pure hatred toward him but," he paused. I watched him sit motionless clearly reliving the moment. "It was pure devotion for me. I've never felt so protected, so safe in all my life."

"I will always protect you," I whispered.

"And your scent," he said as if he hadn't heard me. He seemed so different like in a trance. "It's fading now but, it was so overwhelming and intoxicating," his voice monotone.

His eyes snapped open and the beautiful golden color was swallowed up by the large black pupils. They looked directly at me but, seemed to be seeing something in the distance as well. My wolf was completely subdued as Edward shut his eyes to me again and ran his nose along the inside of my wrist and then cradling it back to his face. I felt absolutely no need to protect myself from the vampire who rested his face against my pulse point, feeling my blood pumping through it. It was then that I felt his want, his need. It was instinctual and restrained, he was holding himself back.

The soreness I felt earlier left my muscles as another kind of ache took its place. The cool touch of his skin mixed with the want I felt from him caused a whimper to escape me. The urge to mate with and claim him rose to the surface, my muscles tightening and my cock filling. Edward looked back at me with wide eyes that seemed to plead with me but for what, I wasn't sure. I knew he could read my mind, he could feel my emotions, and smell the lust rolling off my body.

I don't know what caused it but, my vampire jumped from the bed and ran from the room at an inhuman speed slamming the door open against the wall leaving a feeling of self loathing in his wake. It happened so fast that it took me a moment to comprehend that he'd left.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for all of your support and your reviews. I love getting the feedback; good and bad.**

**A/N 2: I am so proud to say "Me's" story "Click" has been nominated for an award! The poll to find top ten favorite fics completed in the month of October. You can vote once every twenty-four hours until December 1st. To vote, go to "twifanfictionrecs dot com. Please vote (I ask shamelessly on my knees), it only takes a few minutes. His story was brilliant and the nomination is well-deserved. **

**Chapter 10**

**Edward POV**

Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to run back to him. The unquenchable thirst was unbearable as forced myself to leave him. His scent was so unlike the others of the pack. It was inviting and caused copious amounts of venom to pool on my tongue especially since he phased on the beach. The scent he emitted when it happened was musky and woodsy and laced with pure unconditional devotion that I could almost smell and taste. The heat that rolled off his body was overwhelming, like standing too close to a fire just as someone threw gasoline over it. The sound of his blood as the adrenaline pumped it through his veins was exquisite and I'd never felt anything so purely good in my entire life.

But, it was as if the universe had to right itself. Where Seth was everything that was good and honorable, I was the opposite. My true nature seeped in and tainted it. I was a breath away from sinking my teeth into him, draining him and the world of all his goodness. I was so clouded with his scent, his warmth, his emotions wrapping around me like a blanket on a chilly day that I'd almost forgotten what I truly was; a monster.

The moment I realized what was happening, I ran. He didn't deserve it. He was trying to protect me and I returned the favor with my desire to drink from him. How could the spirits do this to him? I still didn't understand what imprinting was about and why would they force him to be tethered to me with some sort of unbreakable rope. It was like sealing his doom.

I stopped at the edge of the forest not far from the house. My body refused to move any further from him. I fell to my knees with my head in my hands wishing for the tears I hadn't felt in eighty years to fall and give me some sort of release. I never hated myself more than I did in that moment. Even during the years away from Carlisle when I killed or when I came back to him and felt his judgment boring into the back of my head.

I sat for only moments before I heard him come after me. His mind filled with worry for me and concern for my well-being. It only made me feel worse. He shouldn't worry for me, he should be concerned with his own safety.

"Edward," he pulled my hands from my face and lifted my chin. I kept my eyes closed not wanting him to see the black of my eyes, a reminder of my want. "Edward, what's wrong?" he pleaded placing his hands on either side of my face as he knelt down beside me. I shook my head and tried to pull back from the exquisite heat of his hands. "Talk to me."

"I'm a monster, Seth! I've killed people, playing god, choosing who is worthy and who isn't. I almost," I tried again to move from his hold but he refused to let go.

"I'm not afraid Ed," he said.

"You should be," I opened my eyes showing him the evidence of who I really was.

"I want you to," he said softly never looking away.

"What?" I could feel the glorious emotions from the day at the beach coming off his skin much the same way I could feel the heat of his hands on my face. Could he really be saying what it sounded like?

"I would give you anything I could, anything you asked for."

"No!" I shook my head trying to pull away from him while the venom began dripping onto my tongue. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders pulling me into his chest. My body didn't have the strength to fight him One part of me could hear all of what Carlisle taught me and I felt his disapproval as if he were looking down at me from the heavens with judging eyes. Everything else in me wanted me to stay in his embrace.

"Ed, do you feel that? The connection? I have never felt more at peace than I do right now. Everything in me wants you to. I'm not afraid of your bite, I'm not afraid of dying for you but, I know that you would never let that happen," he said as he held me in his arms. His voice was firm and confident, he never looked away from me as if he were pleading with me to understand. I was the blood thirsty vampire and he was asking me to take a drink.

"I won't, Seth," I feebly shook my head. I watched as he slowly lifted his wrist and saw in his head his intentions. It was like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. With a pained grunt he bite into his own flesh and tore it open. It was pure instinct that my hands grabbed his wrist and moved it to my lips before the first drop of blood fell.

The frenzy began with the first delicious taste. It was like a fine wine perfectly suited to my palate and slightly numbing to my tongue. It was the first time in eighty years the burn in my throat was completely doused like drinking water after days of wandering the desert. The pain I thought I would endure for eternity was gone with the first swallow.

Seth emotions were soothing and his mind was content in the knowledge he was giving me what I needed. He pulled me in closer to his chest as my muscles began to relax with the life-giving blood that made its way through my body. Each nerve ending in my body started to awaken with the humming electricity flowing between us.

His thoughts changed as did his scent, I recognized it from earlier just before I ran from the room. I could feel the hardening of his cock pressed against my side through his damp boxers and I opened my eyes when I heard his quiet groan as he moved his hips against me. His eyes were closed and his mouth open slightly with his panted breath blowing across my face.

"God, Edward," his voice sent a shiver down my spine and my own cock began to fill. The entire moment was incredibly erotic. Watching the images in his mind, the pictures of what he desired, fantasies of him claiming me in every fathomable position causing my arousal to strengthen. My need for his blood began to fade as another need took its place. "Ahhhhhhhh," he groaned and I felt the hot liquid soak through his boxers and my shirt as his head fell back. He was so beautiful; his caramel skin, his broad shoulders, and sculpted chest. I watched the sweat roll down his temple to his collar-bone before his head slumped forward. I hadn't even realised I had moved my lips from his wrist until I felt him move his wounded arm and place his hand over my jean-covered cock. I rolled my hips into the palm of his hand only a few times before I found my own release.

Later I would probably look back embarrassed at the quickness of my orgasm but in that moment, I was in heaven. I almost felt human without the burning in my throat and the warmth of his blood in my body. He gently placed my body on the ground and rested his head on my chest taking in deep breaths.

"Ed?" he said just before the rest of his body fell to the side. I could hear his heart beating rapidly but, his mind was completely blank. I sat up quickly careful to keep his head cradled in my lap. What had I done? I looked down at his face, he looked peaceful but, his skin had taken on a much paler shade.

I moved to stand and picked up his limp body that seemed heavier than it had the days prior. I ran back to the house and to my room where I placed him on the bed.

"Jasper!" I yelled out knowing he wasn't home but hoped he was close enough to hear me. I covered his body with the comforter, his body temperature seemed to be falling. "Jasper!" I kept screaming. What had I done? I was frantic, not knowing what to do. I thought of everything Carlisle ever taught me but, none of it was about how to take care of a shapeshifter. The wound on his wrist was already healing. "Jasper!"

I was running my hand through my hair and pacing for I didn't know how long, yelling every few minutes or so when I heard another's thoughts. The smell of wet dog coming closer to the house. He wanted to see if his friend was okay, he hadn't seen him since the day at the beach. I went to the front door and opened it before he had a chance to knock.

"Hey, Ed. I just came by to see Seth," Brady said with a smile. His expression changed to confusion when he looked me up and down. I could see in his mind that my cheeks had a slight pink hue and my eyes had a sliver of green around the still large pupils. But, it was the large wet stain on the front of my jeans that made his eyebrow lift.

"He um," I pulled my shirt out of the waistband of my jeans to cover the spot hoping to find some dignity. "He's resting," I hoped he would be satisfied with that.

"Yeah, right," he snorted and glanced back down at the now hidden wet spot on my pants. "Resting? Is that what you kids call it these days?" he winked. He looked down at his feet and pushed his hands in his pockets. "Look, Ed, I just want to see him for a few minutes. I won't wake him."

I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a breath resigned to my fate if he figured out what I had done. I gestured him inside closing the door behind him and led him to my room where Seth remained sleeping. Concern immediately filled his mind when he heard Seth's racing heartbeat. He sat on the edge of the bed putting his hand on top of Seth's.

"Is he okay?" he practically gasped feeling the cooled skin. "Jacob told me he was feeling better when he left the reservation," he said placing a hand on Seth's cheek. I didn't know how to answer him. He was better until the monster in me showed its true colors. Should I tell him what I'd done? Technically, I didn't bite Seth, a requirement of the treaty. Seth had given himself freely. Something told me I shouldn't but, how would I explain why Seth looked worse now than he did yesterday? "Why didn't you call someone?" he looked up at me.

"It has only been in the last hour or so. He um," Brady stood suddenly interrupting me.

"I'll be back," his voice was angry as he stormed out of the house. I watched from the bedroom window as he made his way into the forest walking past the spot that was the scene of my indiscretion. He made his way back to the house and I heard him come in and then walk to the kitchen. He completely ignored my presence as he walked in the bedroom carrying a glass filled with a murky green liquid. He set it down on the bedside table before taking his previous position next to Seth.

He leaned forward resting his head on Seth's and began to quietly try to wake him with whispers. It felt intimate and like I was intruding. I was torn between wanting to rip him away from Seth and relieved that someone could finally help him. After a few moments, I could see Seth starting to awaken and Brady leaned back slowly bringing Seth with him. He picked up the unknown concoction and tipped it up to Seth's lips holding the back of his neck to support him.

After drinking about half the glass, Seth pushed Brady's hand away and lay back. His eyes opened and he looked directly at me. "I'm okay, Ed," he said with a small smile. He could feel my anxiety and concern. I returned his smile hoping to lessen the emotional strain on him.

"You feeling better, Seth?" Brady asked.

"I'm good, Bray," his eyes never leaving mine.

"Well, you look like shit! This isn't just from disobeying an alpha order, is it?" Brady's voice was full of skepticism and concern. He knew something else was going on, just not what.

"Better than your ugly ass," Seth replied. "Did you come here to tell me that?"

"No, I was hoping to talk. We didn't get the chance to at the beach with you wolfing out on Old man Quil. Not that I blame you, fucking asshole," he grunted. "But you made me go all fur ball too! Thanks for that by the way," he rubbed his shoulder as if he could still feel the pain.

"Awe, I bet you looked all cute and furry like the puppy you always were," Seth snickered reaching his hand out to pat Brady's head.

"Fuck off," Brady pushed his hand away. I stood motionless watching the two banter back and forth, insults thrown at each other but never taken seriously. The color in Seth's cheeks becoming less pale and his heart rate slowing as the time past. I didn't know if it was from the herbs Brady gave him or if Seth's blood had replenished itself on its own but, it was a relief to know I hadn't hurt him irreparably. I vowed i would never allow it to happen again.

"Ed?" Seth brought me out of my thoughts. Both sets of eyes on me. "You okay?"

"Yeah, um," I said pushing both hands through my hair. The action lifted my shirt above the stain it covered.

"I'm guessing before I showed up, he was a whole lot better than okay," Brady snorted and turned his head to look at Seth who picked at a non-existent piece of fuzz on the blanket. I was right in my assumption that I shouldn't say anything about what happened between us to Brady. He didn't want the pack to know. "It's about time, Sethy."

"Mind your own business, Brady," he snapped at his friend. The room immediately felt tense, so different from the light banter from only moments before.

"Just a joke, man," Brady lifted his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean,"

"Just drop it, okay?" Seth looked up from the blanket and glared at his friend.

"Consider it dropped," Brady's hands fell to his lap.

"I'm just going to um," I mumbled out grabbing a pair of pants from the dresser and running to the bathroom at vampire speed. I stripped out of my jeans and wet a cloth to clean the crusty mess from my body before dressing in my clean clothes. I glanced in the mirror and saw the green tint around the pupils of my eyes. The slight pink in my cheeks was gone though.

Jasper and Alice's thoughts grew louder as they made their way back home. They didn't know anything of what had happened over the last few days. I left the bathroom and met them on the porch outside the front door.

"Everything okay?" Jasper asked. "I know Seth is in there but I don't know the other scent."

"It's a friend of Seth's. It's a long story," I said running my hand through my hair.

"He doesn't smell like the other shifters but, he is isn't he?" Jasper asked.

"He is, yeah. But he has only," the door behind me opened and Brady stepped outside.

"Ed, I've got to go," he said.

"Brady, I want you to meet my sister Alice," I put my hand on her shoulder and she held out her hand for him to shake.

"Good to meet you," he said returning her smile.

"And this is Jasper Whitlock, my cousin," I said. The moment their eyes met, I felt the powerful emotions coming from Jasper. His eyes clouded over as if filled with smoke and the only thing on his mind was the shifter standing before him. It was like the rest of the world fell away and all that existed was Brady.


End file.
